Duality of a Phantom
by Raxychaz
Summary: A young man with a slight guardian complex, and issues between showing off his true self to those around him, and dealing with several internal struggles without letting anyone else in on it. Menma joins up with the Phantom Thieves in a bid to distract himself and help people at the same time.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: This story is not from the perspective of Joker, also it may only make sense to those who are familiar with the Persona 5 Storyline, so if you're only reading this because I wrote it, I'm sorry ahead of time for any confusion.**

 **That being said I thought this could be a fun way to tell the story, I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Still, I hope you enjoy it, tell me what'cha think in a review, and if you have any questions pertaining to the story, PM me.**

 _ **[Start.]**_

 **I thought I could trust it...**

" _Jack, do you have the case?_ " Asked a boyish voice in his ear, the figure being spoken to was a tall, lanky fellow in a suit of black armour, fitted with clawed gauntlets, curled, pointed boots and tight - almost to the skin itself - chainmail over his torso.

Covering him from head to shoulders, was a long red shawl with a hood, the shawl itself was tattered and ripped in several places, four long strands fell of his shoulders, an the sleeves barely reaches his biceps, his face was covered by a white mask that seemed to be stitched together.

Around the right eye was a splash of red, that carried up across the forehead and to his left brow, this redness was outlined by a golden coloured seam, as though the mask was not made of porcelain but instead some kind of cloth.

The lanky man had a single hooked knife on his belt, along with a holster holding two heavy duty looking pistols on each side of his hip.

Clutched in his left hand was a silver briefcase, currently the man stood looming in the rafters of a casino, overlooking the several hundred people swimming about, fulfilling their various gambling needs.

"I did, Joker is on the way out with it. I'll make sure to play my part as the distraction… Shockingly I'm the more nimble of the two of us… How is that?" Jack questioned into his radio.

" _Zip it you glorified ballerina_." The voice of Joker fizzled into his ear, Jack grinned under his mask at the jest of his peer.

"Let me know when you're in vision of the group and I'll start." Jack ordered suddenly, stealing away back into the shadows to avoid the various guards moving about through the crowd.

" _Got it, Jack._ " Joker accepted.

" _You're gonna have a hard time getting out, make sure you take all possible precautions._ " Another male voice entered his ear, Jack smiled and fiddled with the hem of his shawl.

"I got it, Crow… thanks." A warm light filled his eyes as he spoke.

" _Consider me paranoid, but I'd rather we all get out of here._ " Crow defended himself slightly, as though expecting something else, " _Ah- yes of course._ "

" _Jeez, who's his girl? You or Queen?_ " Another voice butted in with a chortle.

" _Skull, is now_ really _the time?_ " Questioned a female voice with a slight snap to it.

"Watch out Skull, Panther _does_ have all those whips. I know you're a hardy guy but-Going radio silent. I see an opening, over." Like a switch was flipped Jack's body language completely changed.

He leapt out of the shadows, "You boys lookin' for me?" He suddenly roared as he sailed through the air onto one of the many light dangling from the ceiling, "Can't catch, Jack!"

"Target found! In pursuit!"

 **Trust them, him…** _ **her**_ **, all of it, ya'know?**

" _Target coming up to your right, slip through the-_ " Oracle began only to be interrupted by Jack.

"Oracle, I need you focusing on the others. I can get out." Ordered Jack as he ran at a guard and slid into his legs, making the man flip over and groan, Jack leapt back up and continued down the hallway, he came to a room with only a stained glass window and another door leading downward.

Well obviously the only choice is the window.

Rushing towards it he ducked several bullets coming his way before leaping out, calling out into the night he summoned his Persona, "Swift!" A creature made of blue light appeared behind the red cloaked man, the creature had four arms with long cloth-like wings falling from the underside of each arm.

It's face was obscured by a tri-corn hat and pulled up mask, leaving only its ash-pale face and golden glowing, four eyes. The creature appeared to be the macabre fever dream interpretation of an old English Highwayman, truth be told, and from the waist down it seemed quite human, but everything above the hips was a little… sketchy.

As Jack landed his Persona melted away.

" _Well done, gotta say that was smoother than-_ " Suddenly light burned his vision, blinding him, the cocking of guns alerted him, Jack lifted his arm to shade his vision, in a bid to see what it was.

An army of men.

Armed to the teeth, and armoured up like they were SEAL team fucking 6.

" _Jack! There's enemies everywhere!_ " Screamed the boyish voice.

" _Jack, can you see a way out?!_ " Joker asked, sounding breathless.

" _I-I-I can't find anything, Jack!_ " Oracle's sudden voice almost sounded like she was about to start crying.

"Oh… heavens..." Murmured Jack with wide eyes.

He looked anywhere for an escape, spotting a nearby fire escape he made to move only for a shot to ring out behind him and clip him directly in his shoulder blade, downing Jack in a single, agonizing moment.

Pain blossomed in Jack, whatever shot that was it tore right through his armour like it was nothing, his legs gave out in shock and he collapsed against the ground, several men immediately swarmed him, tore off his mask revealing a young man with shaggy red hair and bright purple eyes.

"Huh… didn't expect a kid. Well good on you, you've been sold out. One of your friends gave us this tip. Pick your pals better next time." Suddenly a boot descended on his face and Jack saw no more light.

 **Nothing hurts more than betrayal. I'd say that the pills I'm on make it better, but if anything else that shit made it hurt even more. Stupid feelings. Stupid** _ **me**_ **for letting my guard down.**

 **This all sounds pretty dramatic, and I suppose in a way it is. But it all happened so slowly I really didn't notice it until it had already happened.**

Jack woke up tied to a chair, his shawl torn down, his face covered in bruises, his left eye being swollen shut, and his lip having long since busted open and clotted.

"So… feel like speaking up yet?" A dark room, several men in suits, one speaking. Holding a clipboard.

Jack could hardly make out anything but shapes, let alone fine details. "Obstruction of justice, possession of weapons, blackmail, theft, assault, even manslaughter... Looks like you had _quite_ the little adventure, but it all stops now. No more games. No get out of jail free cards."

"You should know your place." Someone came up behind him and threw him off his chair, then they unlocked whatever bindings he had and pulled him by his hair into an upright position, a clipboard was shoved into his face.

"Sign here… it's a confession in your name."

Jack groped the air for a moment before the man thrust the clipboard into his gloved hand, his left arm completely useless from the combination of drugs and untreated bullet wound.

 _Uzumaki Menma_

It was messy, but it was his name.

"Don't expect you walk out of here in one piece, you'll understand pretty quickly that one takes full responsibility for their actions." The man took a few steps back as he snatched the document and pen away.

Menma looked to his useless arm and bit his lip, this wasn't part of the plan, none of this was part of the plan. How was _he_ supposed to get out of this? He wasn't the leader he was-

He was the fall guy.

Whether it was planned or not, he was the fall guy and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

The plan wasn't to have _Jack_ get caught, it was to have _Joker_ get caught while helping the others escape, _Jack_ was just a fancy diversion to put an extra layer onto their true intentions.

Oh sweet mother of all that is-He was going to fucking die.

Tears pooled at the edges of his eyes, Menma bowed his head and for the first time in years, he prayed, he didn't let his terror through though, he didn't want to give the world the satisfaction of seeing him at yet another low point.

' _ **Master… surely our comrades shall come to your aid? Will the plan truly deviate so much with you in your leaders place?**_ ' The familiar voice of Swift flowed into Menma's ears, the only true comfort at this time.

' _That's the thing, Swift. I don't know. The other problem is I don't have all of the details Akira may. So the timing will be that much slimmer, I have faith in the others but…_ '

' _ **The fear of death does little when one's faith is already shaken**_ '. Supplied Swift, getting a nod from his Master.

Menma's vision swam for a bit and before he knew it he was in another chair, sat at a metal table, his forehead immediately met it, he didn't want this!

He deserved better than this!

He'd joined the Phantoms to seek justice in the name of his fellow students, to show them both in the real world and in the Metaverse that he was their guardian..

Now he'd probably have to get shoulder reconstruction, he'd probably take months to heal, he'd most definitely be _raped_ in prison as the pretty redhead boy.

Fear gripped him once more and he openly wept as the doors opened.

"What in-Menma!?" Sweet Sae, gorgeous woman both within and without, though recent evidence made him rethink the whole 'within' portion of that but gods damned did she look good as a Shadow.

Where was he?

"I'm gonna fucking die…." Whimpered the mighty thief Jack of Blades, he felt himself pushed back into his chair, soft fingers running across his bruised face and bright red eyes looking deep into his single open purple one.

"M-Makoto… oh gods, I was so-no… Sae." For a genuine moment he saw his world, his sun, his stars, his universe.

 _His_ Makoto. Not anyone else's goddamn it!

Fuck you he wasn't insecure he was just really stressed right now!

"My god… what did they do to you?" Sae implored, seeing the young man she'd known for two or so years reduced to a mess, the thought of his involvement with the Phantom Thieves completely gone from her mind.

"They drugged me… I think… but I really need some painkillers… Sae I was sh-shot, and it really hurts."

Sae looked at him in horror, "Where!?" A simple, thunderous demand.

"Left shoulder."

Immediately she looked to the wound, still weeping blood through the archaic armour he wore.

"I'll call for a medical team, this… this is inexcusable, you're in no state for an interrogation!" She plucked her phone from her bag only to feel a hand grabbing her shirt, she went to assure him that he'd be fine but her throat ran dry when she looked down at Menma.

He was resigned, he was scared, he was probably in shock.

"J-just, go on with it… i-if all goes to plan I'll m-make it out alive." He assured, delirious. "Where's my phone, I need my p-phone or it won't work…" He groped at his person in panic only for Sae to produce it from her evidence folder, he looked at it, and Sae saw his mind tick away, as though debating whether he should try to snatch it.

"I-if Makoto messages me just tell her… no, you're my i-interrogator, this is fi-ine, I'll be fine." Menma tried desperate to get his mind in order but there was a distinct cloud across his mind that he just couldn't penetrate.

"Right." Sae admitted, chewing her lip. "If I don't make progress they'll get suspicious and probably pull you out before my times up."

Sae unzipped her folder and flipped it to the first case file. "We'll start with the first target, Suguru Kamoshida. I want you to walk me through how you did what you did to him."

Menma bobbed his head for a moment as he gathered himself.

"I never thought the young man I could almost be happy to call step-brother would be the leader of the Phantom Thieves… your future was already so secure? What made you take up a life of crime?" Sae had several thoughts on _who_ the leader was, it was just a… shock to find out it was Menma.

Menma weighed his words in his mind for a moment, tell the truth, or lie?

N-no, he needed Sae on his side. Lying would get him nowhere.

"I-I'm not the leader, I'm the Jack of Blades. I work on capture and pursuit. No… our leader was Joker. As to how we changed Kamoshida-san… that's pretty involved so I've gotta start when I was first… _inducted_ into all of this." Sae nodded and opened her laptop, ready to take notes.

The pain was either becoming easier to deal with, or his mind was just putting it on the back-burner out of sheer need. Either way, his shoulder stopped making him flinch every five seconds.

 **For me, it started on a day I couldn't exactly predict. We had a transfer student to the school, nice guy. Quiet, but** _ **veeerrry**_ **sassy when he wanted to be. I met him a few times before that day but they're pretty inconsequential.**

 **The day started much like any other, somewhat.**

A dark, endless void. That's where he was, he could feel the absence of all senses slowly messing with his head more and more, the only thing that made it bearable was a single, tiny golden butterfly, it fluttered around him for a moment before landing on his nose, it's glow almost stung his eyes but he observed it.

It's wings had a beautiful swirling style, at the corner of each wing was an eye of some kind.

" _I am thou… thou art I, thine own mind remains a confined space. The lock remains shut, you merely require the key._ " Menma blinked as a masculine voice filled his mind.

His voice didn't come out, but he tried to voice his query, what was this creature talking about?

" _When thou finds the key, the power of the Aeon shall be yours. Until then..._ " The sound of a great howling beast flooded the void, it suddenly felt very cold.

" _Put your faith in those around you._ "

Unbidden Menma's throat unclenched, "Who are you?"

" _You may call me, Philemon. I charge you to open the lock, Guardian._ "

Wake up.

Breakfast.

Shower.

Dress.

Brush teeth, comb glorious red hair.

Take anti-depressants, hide them from outside view.

Ignore weird dream for the moment.

Those first five things had ruled the morning of one Menma Uzumaki for the past decade, since he started taking school seriously at least.

Taking of pills started a few months ago, it was merely to correct a chemical imbalance, as after only a few days of taking them he'd felt better than ever, more emotive, more expressive, hell even more sentimental.

Initially he found no light in life, and wanted merely to fall off the planet. But found solace after speaking with a professional and starting on his 'correction' journey. Suffice to say, it had already gone swimmingly.

At the ripe age of 17 Menma was in his final year of schooling and he'd be damned if he slipped up even once this year.

His goal? To fulfil the promise he made his father to take over the family business and in turn secure it's safe running until such a point that Menma may pass it onto his own child. His father ran a multinational security firm, simply referred to as Apex.

His mother on the other hand ran several dojos within japan, it had yet to meet the outer-state success that Apex had but it seemed to be just on the edge of doing so.

His father used his half-asian status to breach into the market in England and other parts of Europe, most noticeably in Russia. Which in itself is a strange thing to people… apparently.

Regardless, his parents had done miracles for themselves building themselves from pseudo-immigrants to multi-millionaires in just a few years of bone breaking work. The fact that he had any kind of relationship with his familials was something of a mindbender. Considering how hard they worked.

"Good morning, Menma-kun." A voice said as he stepped out of his up-town apartment that his parents owned, seeing as they didn't see the point in owning a big house to waste space.

This voice belonged to perfection incarnate. Menma's purple eyes sparked.

Short brown hair with an almost undetectable headband tucked into the face of the band shaped to look like braided hair, bright red eyes that were filled with the confidence and the stalwartness required to take on the world, fair, unblemished skin and perfectly kissable pink lips.

She wore the female uniform of their mutual school, Shujin Academy.

He flourished slightly taking one of her hands into his own and placing a kiss upon the back of her hand, "All the better with you in it, Makoto-chan."

Her cheeks flushed prettily at that, his flair for the dramatic was not unknown to the Niijima sister but it still took her by surprise that he was so bold with his affections.

After that small exchanged they walked to the station in order to catch the train to reach school, Menma reflected, on how lucky he was. Just in general really. He had a family, he had love, he had a fantastic start in life.

And he had her.

By the gods he _finally_ had her.

The purple eyed teen weaved his fingers into hers as they walked together, Makoto's cheeks flushed and she softly pressed her lips to his cheek, the second those pink beauties touched his flesh it felt like every inch of his body exploded at once.

His heart beat faster.

His blood felt like lava.

Even his thoughts fled in an instant.

They'd been dating for a few months at this point and he still couldn't quite get over just how fortunate he was to have her in his life, in that new and exciting way that only intimate partnerships could be. It was certainly a wonder to find out just how deep the Makoto Niijima rabbit hole went.

She was the prim and proper Student Council President at school, and at home with her sister she was the dutiful imouto, who would make sure everything was perfect when Sae Niijima managed to get any free time to return to sleep, eat or even something as trivial as bathe.

But when it was one on one and Makoto was able to relax, he learnt a lot about her. She _loved_ action movies, she despised anything vaguely related to horror, she - much like Menma himself - was a hopeless sop when it came to romance.

She had an innate love for martial arts, the two of them spent much time together, bonding while beating the shit out of one another in a completely reasonable setting, the two of them agreed from the beginning- when they first met actually - that if they were to spar, any animosity would be left in the ring.

 **I know you know this, but at the moment I need to keep it all together in my head. And thinking about her makes me happy.**

 _That's fine. Just make sure to leave nothing of significance out. It's quite contradictory to the Jack of Blades persona you parade about as.._

 **I may have been more than a little love-sick.**

Menma and Makoto got to the school early enough, it rained a few days beforehand so his paranoia made him carry an umbrella, much to the apparent chagrin of a few passersby he used it as a cane in a bid to amuse his girlfriend.

She shook her head at his silliness.

 **Skipping ahead slightly, trust me school was just the usual song and dance.**

Menma was on his way to deliver a few things to the faculty room for Makoto, just some forms that had to be handed over nothing too interesting. That was when he saw a very downtrodden Suzui Shiho walking towards the roof, something about the situation made Menma's stomach flip.

He rolled up the forms and stuck them into his back pocket, he trailed after Suzui, making sure she didn't see him. When he heard the door open he quickly raced up after her and made sure to catch it before it closed, slipping out he watched her for a moment.

She kept walking until she got to the edge of the roof, Menma's eyes widened, she kept muttering as he quickly stalked up behind her, "I'm just so… tired of it all."

Menma's arms enclosed around her waist just as she was about to drop, he had to over-correct and ended up on his back, a sickening cracking noise flooded his ears and he felt pain blossom on the back of his head.

Suzui immediately began to struggle against him, lashing and kicking against him, his arms fell limp as his body reeled from the pain, she rolled off him and looked at who caught her.

"M-Menma-senpai!" She croaked out, concern shimmering in her eyes.

"Thuzui-san…" He slurred as his sight was filled with spots, "Why, why in gods name would you try to jump?" Slowly she helped him rise, he held her hands in his own as he sat up, the wind howling for a moment over the roof, ruffling the red mess he called hair, Suzui had several dark bruises around her person, specifically on her throat, wrists and on what little her skirt revealed of her thighs.

"..." She was silent in the face of his question, merely staring at his hands.

"Shiho-san." He implored, his heart beating fast, whatever struggles this girl was going through he would not, could not merely be a bystander, not only would it mean he'd dishonour himself, he'd dishonour his very soul.

"I swear to the stars and back, if you wish it I will keep this to myself but you _must_ tell me. I cannot simply let you walk away from me after making this… attempt. I'm not just the Discipline Monitor, I am the guardian of the students at the school. You have clearly been abused but you have to tell me or I can't help you."

"...Kamoshida-sensei, the rumours about him… are true." Confessed Shiho, "Yesterday he-he…"

 _You're starting at the point when you found evidence of Suguru Kamoshida's sexual abuse?_

 **I figured the two of us don't have a lot of time to spare right now, so I'm trimming the fat. Would you prefer if I kept gushing about how in love I was with your sister?**

 _No… please go on, I know this is all quite harrowing for you at the moment._

 **I just… look I'll get to it later.**

"I need details, Shiho-san. This is going to be hard but I promise you." A fire burned in those purple eyes that almost scared Shiho, "We're going to _fix this_. Come to my office, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

He stood up, wavering for a moment before nodding to himself, pulling Shiho up and placing an arm around her, as though to shield her from the world.

Just as they were about to reach the door it was flung open, a familiar blonde haired blue eyes girl burst out, along with two others, a dyed blond hair male with brown eyes, and a young man with curly black hair, steel grey eyes and wide glasses.

"Shiho!" Ann Takamaki, the school's resident 'bombshell', she was a well endowed half-breed much like himself, or something like that. Truth be told he wasn't exactly up on his Takamaki lore.

The girl threw her arms around Shiho who was shivering, shock and anxiety bubbling up in her.

"Senpai…" Ryuji Sakamoto, a misunderstood young man with a heart of gold. Unfortunately less than stellar academic scores and overall bad reputation had him a pariah around the school.

"Sakamoto-kun, now isn't the time for conversation. I'm taking Shiho-san to my office. There's been an… incident that I need to find out how to deal with, Shiho-san would you like Takamaki-san to accompany us?" Shiho merely nodded into Ann's shoulder, the blonde girl looking between the two of them, as though begging for answers.

"What in heaven's name is going on here?" Some random teacher had finally breached the roof only to be met with the intense stare of an Uzumaki.

"I thank you kindly not to raise your voice at this moment." Commanded the dagger eyed youth, making the grown man gulp and nod, retreating quickly.

"Damn Senpai, you are one scary dude." Ryuji admitted with a chuckle.

 **It was quickly discovered after I took them into my office, as for some reason Akira-san and Ryuji decided to loiter, thinking I wouldn't notice. Ann was like fire, she wanted blood and rightly so. Shiho had been abused physically and sexually by Kamoshida. Her chastity was stolen, to put it cleanly.**

"Takamaki-san. Please make sure Shiho-san's parents collect her posthaste." Menma picked up his phone and hit his emergency speed dial, "Hello?... Police please. Yes, I've would like to report a… rape, at Shujin High School… Yes ma'am…. No ma'am, this isn't a prank…. Yes ma'am I'm happy to provide evidence… no ma'am I'm sending the witness home but I've recorded an initial interview… no ma'am but I'm close with a prosecutor, so I know the skeleton basics of this stuff."

Menma made a gesture at the two girls to ease, seeing Takamaki soothing Shiho as the girl almost began crying once more, the fear and crushing realisation of the situation slowly building upon her delicate heart, Menma ran a hand over her head in a bid to help her calm down.

"Yes ma'am." Menma answered, "I find it more suitable for the witness to be removed from the situation to avoid potential actions by the perpetrator." Praise greeted him and he gave a bittersweet smile, "Thank you ma'am… Uzumaki Menma, 3rd year student ma'am. If you can't find me I'll be leaving the evidence with one Makoto Niijima, Student Council President. I apologise if this is the case but it would seem two eavesdroppers are-I'm sorry ma'am but please hurry we may have another matter on our hands." Menma hung up the phone and handed his recorder to Ann.

"Make sure Makoto gets this, Sakamoto and Kurusu just ran off and I'm not letting them get themselves into hot water." Ann nodded somewhat speechless as the redhead fled the room, "Shinji watch that door!"

"Yes Senpai!" A young man with brown hair snapped a salute as he stood guard outside the Disciplinary Committee office.

 **Akira and Ryuji of course, ran to Kamoshida's office in a heartbeat after they heard me on the phone. I remember running out of the damned room like a man possessed, I don't think my feet have ever felt so hot. But by the time I got there…**

"-no proof of." Menma entered the room, Kamoshida stood with his arms crossed, towering over the young men in the room, Ryuji looked about ready to knife someone, Akira was hovering between enraged and poised, whilst Mishimia Yuki - Another 2nd student - shrunk in on himself.

"Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?" Kamoshida questioned with a scowl, trying to put words into the frail looking boys mouth.

As though suddenly filled with courage, Mishima stood up straight, "That's not what this is about."

"Even if it is as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking… what can you do?" Kamoshida leant towards Ryuji for this as though baiting him.

" _They_ may not be able to do much, Sensei." Menma spoke, drawing all eyes to him, his own purple gaze flaring dangerously as he walked past Mishima, making sure the younger male was shielded behind him.

"I on the other hand have a recorded confession of your horrific crime from Shiho Suzui's own mouth, the police are on their way, congratulations. Your life is over." Ryuji and Akira looked at the redhead in shock.

Kamoshida's own face went through several shades of furious red, "You dare!?" Snarled the man, getting face to face with the teen, "You've been nothing but a thorn in my side since you got here, Uzumaki! Always trying to _protect_ everyone especially that little whore Niijima!"

Menma's nostrils flared and his pupils dilated dangerously, "Watch your tongue, you filth!" Snarled the redhead.

"Or what? _You're_ gonna hit me? I'm a teacher you little shit, even if you get one slut to act as a witness against me I've still got dozens of others who will defend me. I'll drag Shiho Suzui through the dirt and break her spirit to the point that one failed suicide attempt is hardly going to be the end of it!" Spittle dripped onto Menma's face as Kamoshida roared in his face.

Ryuji felt powerless and went to lash out, only for Akira to grab his arm, "We'll deal with it." The curly haired boy said quietly, the blond grudgingly admitted his friend had a point.

"I'm going to walk away from this argument, but I want you to know that if this ever happens again, there won't be a god in this universe that will keep you safe." Menma said, "The police will deal with you, Kamoshida-san."

The youth turned and ushered the others out with him, "You'll all be expelled! I am Kamoshida! I have the power here not you!" The man ranted with fury.

"Hey Senpai…" Ryuji said, looking to Akira for a moment, "Come with us, we got something to show ya."

 **The Cognitive World is… an interesting place, to be sure. Now, I after learning the plan I was pretty sure that we didn't even** _ **need**_ **to bother with it, because Shiho's testimony was sufficient to pin him for the rape charges, but in hindsight it was good to strip the man of any defenders.**

A giant castle was not exactly what Menma expected to be shown, nor was he expecting to see a three foot tall cat monster creature, "Uhh…"

"Is it really a good idea to bring this guy along?" The… cat spoke, sounding boyishly young in fact. He had a little yellow scarf on, a belt with little pouches and carried a large cutlass.

Also its head was weirdly large.

Akira seemed to be dressed like a cross between a street performing magician and a archetypal thief from victorian storytelling. Long coat, vest, pointed boots and bright red gloves. His faces was covered by a white mask with splashes of black around the eyes.

Ryuji looked like a thug, truth be told. He had a black coat with metal down the spine, yellow gloves with metal knuckles, shotgun rounds hanging from his waist, knee pads and heavy duty boots, his mask looked like a human skull without a lower jaw.

"Not to rag on your style choices but…" Menma admitted he was slightly lost here.

"Look, if anyone can help us in here it's this guy, he's been playing defence for the students against Kamoshida since I've known him." Ryuji explained.

"He doesn't have a Persona." Akira pointed out, fiddling with one of his black locks.

"He'll probably awaken one no problem!" The blond grinned, punching Menma in the shoulder, "Senpai is one really tough guy, if nothing else it'll be good to have another set of eyes watching our backs!"

"What the hell is this place!?"

 **Takamaki got in with us, for some reason** _ **I**_ **was allowed to stay and she was not. I'm just as confused, don't worry I'm moving on.**

 **The whole place was pretty strange but I got the gist of it pretty quick, distorted desires of grand scales cause Palaces to appear, in turn this begins a feedback loop making people worse and in turn the Palaces more complex. So on and so forth. Kamoshida's palace was a monument to his own vanity, lust, and general filth as a human being.**

 **I found quite quickly how… different my situation was to the others, Philemon** _ **still**_ **hasn't given me a straight answer.**

" _Are you simply going to allow them to fight on your behalf?_ " A voice pierced Menma's mind as Joker and Skull dealt with Shadows whilst Mona watched over him.

"I don't want to…" Menma answered quietly, ignoring the strange look from the mutant cat.

" _Then push on! Do not let fear repress you! You are the Aeon! Seeker of Understanding, I am Cerberus, Guardian of the Underworld and Seeker of those daring to escape it! Call my name and cease this mockery!_ " Demanded the voice, making Menma wince.

Morgana watch as a wave of golden light seemed to seep from the redhead, in a flash he no longer stood in his uniformed.

In its place was suit of archaic armour, chain, layered plates down his arms and legs, clawed gauntlets, pointed boots with curled toes, and a dark red shawl with a hood, four long strands of cloth falling down to his hips.

As Menma inspected himself the golden light slowly faded until it rested in his hands, a mask appeared, along with a long, curved knife. The mask was white, with a splash of red around the left eye-

 _I think I get it. I'm looking at most of it anyway._

 **Sorry… I got kinda caught up in the moment.**

"Sweet mother of mercy…" Menma whispered as he placed the mask on, held the knife firmly and charged forward, towards the Bicorn shadow, "Hunt them down, Cerberus!"

" _ **With pleasure!**_ " The voice was so much louder, clearer and all around more intense now. It was like whatever was keeping them apart shattered.

A great three headed beast that looked to have been dragged up from the pits of hell shot forward, its skin was made of shining, obsidian stone, each eye seemed to be cut from rubies so rich they could be solidified blood, with tree trunk thick legs the massive hellbeast crushed one of the shadows underfoot before disappearing.

Menma joined the fray aside Skull, "Jack is here to help!" Informed the rogue with a grin beneath his mask.

"Whoa! What the hell!" Skull shouted in awe, Akira smirked before summoning Arsene to Cleave through the remaining shadow, Pixie.

With the shadows gone for the moment the foursome stole away into a safe room, rooms where the Palace Rulers cognition was weakest, or in layman's terms, where the ruler thought of in the least detail.

"Why didn't you say you already unlocked your Persona!" Mona hissed accusingly.

Jack held up his hands in defence, "Look I didn't even know I could do that until Cerberus basically called me a pussy for sitting out on the fights, when he finished yelling at me I was in this get-up and just kind of went with my gut." Jack slid his knife onto his belt and crossed his arms for a moment.

"I did have this weird dream this morning though, something about finding the Key to unlock 'the power of the Aeon'? Does the name Philemon mean anything to you guys?" All around the room he got negatives, "Weird."

"Damn right it is, this guy had to rip his mask off in a cell when I was about to die to get Arsene." Ryuji informed, thumbing over his shoulder to Joker, "Mona already had his so he don't count-" Considering the growl from said cat there was probably some disagreement about that, "-And I got The Captain when Mona and Joker were gonna get killed, but both of us had to have some… awakening and tear off a mask to use our Persona."

"Since when did you become the informant?" Morgana said with crossed arms of his own, frowning at Skull.

The delinquent rolled his eyes, "Oh shut up."

"He's right though, both of us had to have a… rebellious awakening." Akira continued on, "Did you really just… listen to a voice and go with it?"

"Philemon really didn't tell me much, only to find my Key and unlock the Aeon. But as he was finishing up I did hear a pretty distinct roar, I suppose that could have been Cerberus but he's only spoken to me today." Jack informed with a sigh, "This stuff is pretty strange… we should probably write it all down."

"Then maybe we could put it in a way the Skull's monkey brain could understand it." Sniped Mona with a snicker.

"Zip-it before I clobber you, you stupid cat!"

"I'm not a cat!"

 **Yes they always did that, no Sae I'll not punish you by telling you about it every time.**

 _I appreciate that_.

 **Anyway at that point noises were heard and we went to inspect Kamoshida's fuck hole.**

 _Excuse you?_

 **I mean it literally,**

The room was filled with mewling girls, the smell of sex was heavy in the air, many students Jack could recognise, one more importantly was the sight of a blushing, messy haired, Shiho.

" _ **So this beast would use his station to abuse cubs!?**_ " Cerberus roared indignantly, ignoring Jack's wince, " _ **Kill him! Let slip your hesitation, and rip him apart!**_ "

The bad part was that at the moment killing this bastard didn't seem so horrible.

"Senpai!~" Whispered Shiho breathlessly, grabbing his leg and rubbing her face against it, King Kamoshida has thrown me aside, won't you please use me."

A dark storm of thoughts plagued Jakc's mind, he tried not to think about how she looked great with messy hair, or how without those bruises on her face she was so pretty, thankfully all of that came rushing back and he removed himself from her.

"Dude… this is sick." Skull said with a quiet fury, noticing how shaken Jack seemed to be.

"We'll make him pay." Akira swore, their attention was drawn to the end of the room, Ann was pinned to a crossboard, typically used in BDSM-

 _How do you know that?_

 **I'm 17, I have a rampant sex drive.**

 _O-oh… forgive me, please continue._

 **We can talk about that if we don't manage to burn through the whole hour.**

 _No. No. Please just continue with the story._

Kamoshida's Shadow stood with a copy of Takamaki, this one in only a pink leopard print bikini and cat ears. It was… flattering but still disturbing given the situation.

Kamoshida himelf wore a waist length fluffy coat with hearts all over it, a small golden crown not sized to his big head, a pink thong, exposing his unshaved legs, and what appeared to be crocks.

 **I feel like the crocks were the worst part.**

… _.Really?_

 **No, it was the sex dungeon in general, I was just kidding. Jesus Sae, I know I'm a thief but try not to sound too friggen serious when you ask me that.**

" _ **Stop right there!**_ " S. Kamoshida demanded as his knights surrounded Ann, " _ **Take another step and I'll gut her!**_ "

"Bastard!..." Skull ground out as everythiing in him _demanded_ he move.

" _ **You damn thieves are just parading around, thinking**_ **I** _ **wouldn't notice you? And then you have the gall to bring another with you? You're like cockaroaches!**_ " S. Kamoshida spat with venom.

" _ **It's bad enough I had to deal with that rat, Uzumaki. Now sit down and shut up! I'm going to enjoy this!**_ " S. Kamoshida slipped off his coat and began walking towards Ann.

"Are you just going to let him do this!?" Akira demanded, looking at Ann who's eyes snapped to him, before suddenly she reeling in agony.

 **Now, at this point, apparently Takamaki awakened to her Persona, what** _ **I**_ **missed out on was some grand revelation that they all went through. Takamaki's initial Persona Carmen reflected her inner desire to protect herself, and I suppose womankind from people like Kamoshida, I read the book Carmen was based on briefly, she's** _ **the**_ **femme fatale.**

 _Is this going somewhere…?_

 **Huh? Oh… no, not really. Anyway, Ann went full ham on Kamoshida and busted out of her confines, we fought a demon that took a shit every time it attacked us, funnily enough it was weak to fire so Ann and myself were able to knock it down pretty quickly.**

 _This gets more and more fantastical as you go on._

 **Yeah well, because awakening exhausts you we had to pull out and try again the next day. It was over and done with for that day pretty quickly.**

 _And the date?_

 **The… 17th of March, I think.**

 _Very good, anything else?_

 **I ended up giving a witness report to the police before heading home, I locked my door and spent an hour or so romancing my lower half to blow off steam.**

 _Menma!_

 **You asked.**

 _ **[End]**_

 **Symbolism:**

 **Jack of Blades Costume; As Metaverse Rebels are designed from within the hearts and minds of the Phantom Theives, I figured what more signifies a rebel that ol' Jack from the Fable Lost Chapters Game? Though more along the lines of a Outer-realm Tyrant, Jack is the perfect picture of Roguish antagonist. With Menma's odd connection to the Sea of Souls in place of The Spirit of Rebellion I figured it'd be nice.**

 **Cerberus: Pretty self-explanatory, given his protective nature of the student body and his dogged persistence in following up on said nature, Cerberus made most sense to me. Especially because Shujin could be mistaken for the Underworld at times.**

 **Swift(nick): Although only shown a little, Swift is the persona more in line with the other Phantoms. Swiftnick, a gentleman thief whose many feats were allocated to a few separate people, in England around the 1600's.**

 **John Nevison aka William Nevison, Samuel Nicks and Dick Turpin. I figured from a design point, multiple arms and eyes with a completely hidden face suited this perfectly.**

 **That should about cover the major parts for now, if you have any other questions like I said up top, send me a message or post it in a review!**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Key:**

 **Menma Narrating**

 _Sae Narrating_

" _ **Shadows/Persona Talking.**_ "

"Humans Talkings."

' _Humans thinking._ '

" _Telepathy/Radios_."

 **I ended up spending time in the Metaverse alone to hone my skills, and to clear my head.**

" **Cerberus!** " Roared Jack as he rolled backward, his Persona lunged forward using a vicious Maragi to burn away several bipedal flower Shadows, Mandrake.

Jack righted himself and slipped his knife away as he stretched out.

It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but he'd taken to training within Kamoshida's palace instead of using his afternoons for other activities for a few days, it felt good to just… let loose on something.

He looked down at his hands and clenched his fists, "There's only so much a punching bag can do for me... Makoto's busy with school stuff at moment anyway so it's not like anyone should notice."

Stretching out like a cat Jack strode towards the entrance hall, that's usually where shadows would congregate.

"They want to steal his desires… but I just-" Jack cut himself off as he lunged at another Knight Shadow, leaping onto its shoulders and ripping its mask off with his knife, as he flipped off it the shadow burst into two forms, two Bicorns, large black horses with two green horns and white manes.

" **For King Kamoshida!** " Bellowed the horses, Menma sidestepped one of their Lunges and leapt up onto the creature's back, kicking off it into a jump he slashed his knife right across the other Bicorn's neck, it wailed for a moment before bursting viscous liquid and disappearing.

"Persona!" Calling Cerberus the Guardian of Hades howled and stomped on the other horse, crushing it. With both shadows defeated the original, fake, body returned and spat out several Yen and any power it held was absorbed by Cerberus.

"Probably gonna make a trek to the treasure tomorrow, from the texts I got the others are using today to get some firearms, and Ann is with Shiho… What do I want out of this?" Jack pulled off his mask and he sat with legs dangling over the guardrail of the grandiose staircase leading up to a painting of Kamoshida as a golden armoured knight.

" _ **I suppose that's the ultimate question, isn't it?**_ " Menma looked up to see a doppelganger of himself, though this doppelganger had white armour and wore a white shawl. Instead of purple his eyes were yellow.

"Yeah… it really is." The Copy seemed to give a half-smirk at that and nodded, "So what's your deal? You Kamoshida's cog-no you couldn't be, he doesn't know I'm Jack." Copy nodded and grinned at him.

" _ **Quick thinking, nice to see that stupid cat's words didn't get lost on ya.**_ " Praised the Copy, " _ **No, I got nothin' to do with this place. I can appear whenever you're in the Metaverse I'd think.**_ "

"Good to know, but it doesn't answer my question." Menma prodded.

Copy frowned, " _ **Gimmie a second, would'ya? I only came into existence a short time ago, you try defining that shit quickly!**_ "

Menma's brow raised as a thought crossed his mind but before her could say it, " _ **Right on the money, unlike the others you didn't have an awakening, you just got given your power by Philemon. I am**_ **your** _ **shadow, all the bad shit you got swimming around in your head? I'm it.**_ "

"Oh," Menma frowned, this was not the best case scenario.

" _ **Oh indeed, brother mine.**_ " Shadow said with a chuckle, " _ **Before you go thinkin' about it to hard though, I'm not here to fight you or anythin' like that. It'd be pointless, you've got a Persona, I don't… I think.**_ Shadow rubbed his chin in thought for a moment before shrugging.

"So what _do_ you want?" Menma questioned idly.

" _ **Well I suppose I'd start with pussy.**_ " Shadow admitted easily, " _ **I mean it's been what… three months and Makoto hasn't even thrown some petting our way?**_ "

Oh, it was _that_ kind of conversation.

" _ **I'd also really like to just fuckin' off Kamoshida. There's not a lot of genuine evil in the world, but people like him should just be put**_ **into** _ **a fire.**_ " Shadow continued on, leaning into the support beam at the end of the guardrail.

" _ **Love. Good sweet mother of all that is holy, there's nothing quite so addicting it hits like a freight train, whenever we're with her it makes my heart beat like a fucking stampede! I just wanna hold her close and never let her go! I wanna take her to beautiful places just to see her smile! I-I-I….!**_ "

"Want nothing more than her happiness." Menma said quietly, with an oddly forlorn tone.

Shadow reflected this expression, " _ **Knowing that one day it won't be me that makes her happy anymore just… evicerates me.**_ "

"I spent so long trying to get her… what if I don't know how to keep her?" Menma laughed dryly.

" _ **Why does it hurt so much all of a sudden? It make me angry, it makes me just wanna… lash out! HOW DARE SHE HAVE THIS EFFECT ON ME!**_ " The shadow slammed his fist onto the guardrail he was sitting on and huffed.

"...I love her. So much. I don't know what I'll do…"

" _ **What if it's in college?! She might just shack up with some fucking loser! Some limp-dick fucking burn out who gets her drunk or something! God fucking dammit she's too perfect to pass up! I should know!**_ " Continued Shadow, he slipped off the rail at this point and started pacing menacingly.

" _ **Every time we trained in the gym I could barely keep my eyes off her, every inch of her body, every contour, the way her muscles tensed and moved as she did squats, why am I so fucking obsessed with her!?**_ "

"Gods, can we talk about something else, this is starting to make me ache." Menma pleaded as he grabbed his forehead.

" _ **You're right onto more important matters, pussy. God fucking damn it now I can't stop thinking about debaucherous shit, when we saw Shiho all messy with her hair out it was just-hhhggnnn!**_ " Shadow bit his lower lip and hugged himself, Menma's eyes darkened slightly.

" _ **Fuck dude I'd settle for the Okumura girl in class, you know the quiet ones are**_ **always** _ **fucking kinklords. Or that Takamaki girl… that fucking latex suit is criminal, which I suppose fits all things considered. But most of all I just wanna run up to Makoto -yes her again- pin her against a wall and just fucking lose it man!**_ " There was an almost fanatical lust in Shadows eyes as he spoke, before he looked genuinely sad.

" _ **I'm glad it's all about fucking now though… I don't want to go back to thinking about offing myself every other day. Trying to find the energy to get up in the morning.**_ "

"I've dealt with those issues, I'm glad they're gone as well." Menma admitted freely with a nod.

" _ **What do you think they'd do if they found out you tried it once?**_ " Shadow asked curiously.

Menma idly rubbed his neck at the thought. "They don't have a chance unless we tell someone." Menma pointed out quietly.

" _ **Oh? So it's already 'we'? I thought you'd try to shut me up.**_ " Shadow looked quite pleased with himself.

"You're just saying what I've been thinking, I don't mind that in private." Menma assured with a small smile, "What about Sae?"

" _ **OH MY GOD YES! She has got some fucking amazing legs, and that ass-I want her to sit on my face until I pass out, she could crush my head between those thighs and I'd die happy!**_ " Shadow was positively giddy.

"What no honey across her stomach to lick off? She may not have the definition of Makoto given her job but you gotta expect lady-abs."

" _ **I didn't even think of that yet! Holy fuck dude that's amazing!**_ "

 _Are you seriously telling me all this right now?_

 **Oh right… I'm in an interrogation chamber… S-sorry whatever they juiced me up with is fuckin' with my head.**

 _Oh I'm sure. I've noticed your habit of staring at my ass, Uzumaki._

 **I've noticed you noticed, that's why I kept doing it. You're attractive, I'm attractive, personally I think we could make fine art, I know a guy.**

 _Are you propositioning me!?_

 **Only if your answer is yes, if not then it's-jesus what** _ **did**_ **they drug me with? I'm not usually this forward.**

 _Especially with your girlfriends sister!_

 **...We ended up pursuing the treasure the next day.**

 **I won't go into detail of Kamoshida's castle because it really doesn't matter. There was a point where we had to get through some passage and in order to do it we arranged books and found a BDSM hole with pictures of Shiho, shit like that. It's not really important either way.**

… _.Understandable, we've already burned through-_

 **I don't want to know how many minutes I have left to live, Sae... please just left me forget about it.**

 **Anyway, we cleared it all in a day, mostly at my insistence because I'm anal about getting it all done in one way, it was a fucking slog I'll say that much, we even had to fight the personification of Kamoshida's dick at one point, obviously it only attacked Ann.**

 _Wait.. what?_

 **Right? Dude is so far up his own ass that even his Dick has a shadow. Fedora-tipping Morgana kept trying to assure 'Lady Ann' that he'd keep her safe, that cat is fucking weird I'll say it now.**

 _Moving on._

 **Right, so anyway… We secure our route to the treasure and send the calling card the next day, Skull demanded on putting it together, which was… I mean it was a fine first attempt but let's just say he's not artistically gifted.**

"This calling card is a tragedy." Menma held one of the dozens of red card that were posted on every noticeboard in the school, he idly noticed Akira, Ann and Ryuji discussing something in the corner.

The Joker seemed to notice him and gave a slight nod in his direction, Menma returned it before his ears were filled with the sound of thunderous steps.

"Who did this!?..." Yes apparently the man hadn't even been suspended yet because the case was still being put together in order to bury him in one go, Shiho had tried to avoid all involvement beyond her initial statement, she'd even asked her parents to move her schools, understandably so given the situation.

" _ **Gonna be a damned shame**_ _._ " Menma looked around for a moment before catching his reflection in one of the windows, Shadow Jack was there, " _ **Hey pal, just droppin' in. All's quiet on this side for the moment but the King is losing his collective shit.**_ "

Menma wanted to question his Shadows appearance but didn't bother, instead he gave him a mute nod and watched him fade away, "Was this you Uzumaki! Haven't you done enough?!"

Menma chortled, "I wish I was this creative, unfortunately not. I arrived here a little late to pull something of this scale off."

That seemed to be enough for the man as he stalked towards the trio in the hallway, accusing them, Akira merely shrugged and gave some non-committal answer.

All four of them were given witness as the school around them suddenly shifted and King Kamoshida was there in the P.E teachers place, " _ **Come and take it, if you can!**_ ":

 **Suffice to say, we were more than ready to do just that. Slipping through the Palace once more we made our way directly to the treasure, Joker had prepared something called a Goho-M. Which somehow teleported us back to the entrance of the Palace… Somehow.**

 _You never asked? That doens't seem like you._

 **Oh I did. But he was just as confused as me, Mona just basically told him how to put it together, not how it actually functioned. Fucking cat.**

"Anyone else find it strange that the doors are left wide open?" Jack asked as he walked with his hands on his hips behind the group.

"Gift-horse." Joker said quietly.

"Mhmm." Jack sounded off, more than a little hesitant.

"C'mon the treasure will be up here!" Mona insisted as they passed through a grand throne room, climbing up the stairs revealed a treasury, gold and gems littered within, honestly it looked pretty fucking dope.

"Ttrreeeaasssuuuuree!" Within floated a massive crown, sparkling with otherworldly radiance, it seemed to have flipped a switch in Mona as the cat immediately leapt at it and began purring and nuzzling it.

"M-Mona, be serious!" Panther snapped, stomping her heel on the carpeted ground.

"Dude what the hell happened to the cat?" Skull muttered in confusion.

"It's not catnip, Mona." Joker pointed out, amused.

"Mona!" Jack boomed, as he tore the cat off the treasure, holding him by the scruff of his weirdly shaped head, "Now isn't the time to dry-hump a crown!" Hissed the masked rogue with purpose, his purple eyes flickering yellow for the barest of moments.

"R-right!" Mona wriggled free of Jack's grasp and nodded to him, "Thanks for snapping me out of that, something about the treasure just… resonated with me." Mona brushed himself down before frowning up at the red clad rogue, "Did you have to be so rough?"

"I"m just a little tense given the situation." Jack admitted, pulling his mask up to reveal his mouth and taking a few deep breathes, "Sorry, Mona."

"Accepted, c'mon let's get this treasure outta here!"

"How? It's pretty damn big." Skull pointed out, Mona rolled his eyes.

"Carrying it obviously, everyone grab a side!"

What ended up happening was that each of the humans grabbed a side while Mona played defence. As they managed to get down the stairs Skull spoke up, "This thing is actually lighter than I thought… given how big it is."

Jack nodded, "I think the matter is that it's so grotesque and unwieldy."

"Ah, so back to prim and proper speech, eh?" Skull goaded with a grin, Jack scoffed beneath his mask.

"I'd hardly call myself prim." Denied the Red Rogue with a chortle.

"GO-GO let's go Kamo-Shida!" A cheery voice filled the air before a grunt followed, suddenly the crown flew out of their collective grasp as something struck it.

"S-Seriously, a volleyball?" Jack groaned out, a shadow moved above them and at Skulls gasp they all looked to see Shadow Kamoshida land before his throne.

He stood, smirked and held out his hand, suddenly the crown shrunk and flew into his awaiting grasp.

" _ **Does this dude have the force or what?**_ "

 _Your shadow appeared?_

 **Yeeeup, right as the 'King' was about to start talking.**

" _ **Uh? Another one?**_ " Kamoshida questioned with a raised brow, Cognitive Ann raced up to his side and hung off him.

Shadow Jack strode up and bumped shoulders with his normal self, " _ **Howdy partner, looks like you decided to come and topple the king, eh?**_ " There was an audible grin in his layered voice.

"T-Two Jacks?" Mona mumbled in confusion.

"What the hell's goin' on?" Skull demanded.

"Wait is this Jack's cognitive self in Kamoshida's Palace?" Panther questioned, looking at her teammates for answers.

"A cognitive version should be almost identical, this looks like someone went to great lengths to separate the two." Mona commented.

"What about… ya'know, Ann." Skull whispered, gesturing to the bikini clad girl. "She's different,"

"Ugh, don't remind me." Panther said with a scowl.

"Who _**cares**_ about _**that**_? We _**came**_ here _**to**_ do _**a**_ job." Jack and his shadow said as one, and moved as one, both strode towards Kamoshida in sync and unsheathed their knives, pointing them to the monarch and declaring.

" _ **We're**_ here to _**take**_ your _**Heart!**_ " The mirrors declared.

" _ **Never! This proves that I am the king of this castle-It is the core of this world!**_ " Kamoshida declared with vibrance, " _ **I'll dispose of you all myself.**_ "

"Yeah-yeah whatever you sexually harassing D-bag, what were you waiting to ambush us?" Skull goaded.

" _ **Pfft, ambush? No I just made it easier to find you all, as expected of you mediocre peasants!**_ "

" _ **Enough!**_ " The mirrors ordered, "You _**have**_ been _**found**_ wanting, _**Kamoshida**_ King of _**lust**_ , demon of _**debauchery!**_ "

" _ **We're gonna fuckin' kill you, you sexist, rapist asshole! You cannot use the gorgeous gifts to the world that are women for your own needs!**_ " Shadow said with ferocity.

"Nor will I stand idly by as you parade your false charm upon the fooled masses! You are scum of the highest calibre!"

"Wait-Kill?!" Akira demanded.

" _ **Your desires!**_ Are ours!"

" _ **BWahahahah! Yes, fight me! You can be my would-be slayer, and I shall be the Demon King!**_ " Kamoshida exploded into a shadowy mass, slowly but surely a new form emerged, a multi-armed red skinned beast with teeth fused to its lips in place of separating the two, a tongue easily as long as the beast itself.

In each arm was a different item, in his top right was a glass of wine, in his bottom right a golden knife, in his bottom left a golden fork and in his top right an instructor whip.

Surrounding the demon were several stout creatures with metal masks, similar to the ones the prisoners down below wore, they were chained to iron volleyballs.

Sitting before the demon was a golden trophy cup with multiple blue legs wriggling within, womens legs.

"Let it begin." Jack declared, his shadow shadow shot forward before bowing low, Jack raced after it and jumped onto his shadows back, Shadow shot up as Jack jumped into the air, "Cerberus, Come!"

The great gatekeeper of Hades appeared, one head took a great bite out of Kamoshida's chest, the other two ripping apart both right arms, doing severe damage, Jack landed with a knife slash across the face, the demon hissed and whacked him away with his training rod, Jack was sent towards his partners in crime.

"Arsene!" A pair of red arms wrapped around Jacks midsection as he was spun around and set down beside Joker, "Eiha!" Arsene shot forth a great pillar of Curse energy directly into the open wounds Cerberus left.

"Nice one!" Jack praised with a nod.

"You too!" Joker said, slapping his friends hand, Jack felt a surge of energy, "Cerberus, Agi!" The great beast appeaered behind him once more, this time with a maw of flame, each head shot a single basketball sized orb of flame at Kamoshida, the concussive force of each blow strong enough to create billowing smoke clouds.

"Skull!" Jack reached out, "Tag in!"

Skull grinned widely and shot forward, the Baton Pass powering him up, "Let's do this, Captain Kid! Lunge!" The pirate burst forth from the thug and steered his ship directly into Kamoshida's chest, "Panther!"

"Right." Panther leapt into the air and flipped in such a way that she and Skull held hands for a moment before she continued her spin and landed before him, "Carmen, Agi!" The smoking beauty appeared and stomped on her entranced men, both of the heart-shaped creatures shot flames from within.

"Mona, your up next!" With more excitement than was probably needed Mona leapt into Panther's arms as the power filled him he bounced out, no one missed how his tail brushed down the middle of her cleavage but that was hardly the time to bring it up.

"Zorro, finish this, Garu!" A great storm of green wind was shot out of the Spaniard's rapier, cutting deeply into an already wounded Kamoshida.

" _ **Ughh! Damn it I need healing!**_ " He dug his fork into his championship cut and fished out two sets of legs, a great wave of energy filled his body and all the wounds were gone from him. " _ **You peasants have gotta try harder than that!**_ "

"Son of a bitch…" Skull said, though his face seemed to be permanently set into a grin, "We gotta deal with that cup."

"Right, everyone aim for the champions cup." Akira ordered with a smirk, it seemed that everyone was getting all kinds of good out of the fight.

" _ **Time to make good together, partner! USE ME!**_ " Jack shot his hand forward, as his Shadow ran at him, Shadow gripped his forearm and threw off his mask, revealing an ash skinned version of himself, " _ **I"m not gone… we got more to talk about.**_ "

With that promise, Menma felt something inside him break apart as his Shadow sept into his body, he was covered in black, viscous fluids, and screamed bloody murder.

" _ **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_ " Golden fire seemingly melted the fluids away, Menma's armour was now a mixture of his own and his Shadows, his hood had spiraling streaks of blue clashing against the red, his armour followed the same trend but in place of his knife was two deadly looking pistols, each of them looked like they could punch through solid steel with no problem, one the left was a white weapon with Ivory carved onto it, and to his right was a black gun with Ebony etched onto the side.

A new creature appeared behind him, a lanky creature with four arms, in each arm was an archaic flintlock pistol. The lanky creatures arms were thin as sticks but each had long lengths of white cloth dripping off them like wings, the creature's head was a tricorn hat with a facemask pulled up, four golden eyes peered from within the shadow cast by the hat, across its torso was a bandoleer, in each loop was a vial of some kind of liquid. The legs of the creatures looked quite human, aside from their length it seemed quite normal. Long black riding boots reached up to the beings mid thigh and white trousers covered the flesh beneath.

" _ **Try whatever you like you trash, I won't let you take my treasure!**_ " Barked Kamoshida, his training whip slapped against the ground making the stout creatures at his sides snap to attention, several dozen volleyballs were all shot at Jack only for the Persona behind him to fire off just as many shots making them pop harmlessly.

" _ **Ah! How dare you!**_ " Hissed the demon.

"Shut your mouth and die already." Snarled Menma, looking up his purple eyes were now a deep saffron colour, he held up his firearms and fired off at the cup, "Swift, Frei!" The highwayman Persona shot into the air and created a nuclear orb that exploded against the cup.

"Get to it gang!" Ordered Akira, "Pixie, Zio!" A small fae creature appeared over Joker's shoulder and created a small storm of lightning that struck the precious item.

"Zorro, Garu!"

"Captain Kid, Lunge!"

"Carmen, Agi!"

The multi-element attacks struck true once more, as they all struck at once it created a mighty explosion that rocked the whole room, the championship cup exploded sending shards everywhere, Menma summoned Cerberus to shield his teammates, the beast grunted as metal fragments dug into its hide, making Menma hack up a mouthful of blood.

"Thank you, Jack." Akira said patting his shoulder, "Mona, can you heal him?" The cat nodded at the order and summoned Zoro to perform a Dia on his teammate.

Jack felt his wounds knit close and sighed, "Thanks for that, Cerberus is gonna bitch at me for that." He admitted with a chuckle.

"Dude you can use multiple persona like Joker?" Skull asked quckly, watching the reeling Kamoshida with one eye.

"Not like him no, I think my Shadow is just… my natural Persona, and Cerberus is the one Philemon gave me for being the Aeon?" Jack quickly explained off the top of his head, "Can we talk about it later?"

"Right, let's deal with this asshole." Panther grinned and snapped her whip.

"Everyone, Hold Up!" Joker ordered as they rushed forward, guns at the ready.

" _ **You think you can get away with this? Do you have any idea who I am? I'm Kamoshida, the King!**_ " Demanded the monarch as he barely managed to move properly.

"It'll keep me up all night." Joker said, words dripping with sarcasm.

" _ **B-Bullshit, I'm above everything in this castle, if I'm not the King who is, huh?**_ "

"Ugh, you act all high and mighty but this is just lame." Skull drawled with a frown.

"Totally, I can't believe we were even worried about this. You're a complete joke." Panther scoffed and flipped her hair.

"It just goes to show that the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Mona agreed with a nod, pulling his slingshot back.

"Let's waste this _**motherfucker**_." Jack said, his voice gaining an extra layer.

"All Out Attack!" Joker ordered, lunging forward.

The world became a blur of slashes and shots, Persona and Thief alike throwing their all into completely destroying this despicable man.

The all landed back a few feet as suddenly he exploded in a shower of blood and ichor, the 'Great King Kamoshida' reduced once more to his natural shadow state, he fell to the ground, covered in bruises and cuts.

Kamoshida attempted to rise only for a metal boot to meet his square jaw. " _ **Don't try it, scum**_." Jack commanded, pressing both Ebony and Ivory into the man's skull, " _ **We will be having words**_ _._ "

" _ **It has always been like this, all those goddamn hyenas, forcing their expectations on me**_." Spat the Shadow with venom, " _ **Everything I do, I do for them, what's wrong with wanting a fucking reward for that!**_ "

"You got the balls to make excuses for what you did?" Skull questioned, as though unable to believe what he was hearing. He shook his head before his face was set into a grim snarl, "We'll do something about that distorted heart of yours."

" _ **Oh yes we will~**_." Jack spoke with black promise in his voice.

Joker's eyes weren't even drifting to Kamoshida as he watched his senpai hold the man at gunpoint, something had occurred when the Shadow fused with him.

" _ **Hhhhmmm**_." Whimpered Kamoshida as he tried to reach for his treasure only for Jack's boot to descend onto his wrist, a snapping noise audibly occurred making Joker and Mona wince.

"Scared? Right now that's exactly how Shiho felt, exactly how all the people you've abused always felt, all the people who had to tip-toe around 'Kamoshida-sensei' because no one knew who'd be on the chopping block next!" Ann spat with vicious bile lacing her words.

Carmen appeared behind Ann and pulled up her 'pets' creating two orbs of flame. Kamoshida immediately began to sweat.

"So what's your choice, are you going to try and worm your way out of this one, or would you rather _die here_?" Demanded the girl, her green/blue eyes filled with purpose.

Mona crossed his arms, "It's your call, time to make it."

Jack looked up, " _ **Her call?**_ " He demanded, snapping attention to him, " _ **So**_ **she** _ **gets to decide if he lives or dies? No one else gets a piece of this decision? Just because you want to fuck her?**_ "

Jack kicked the shadow forward so he was between himself and the other thieves, " _ **Who died and made you leader, cat?**_ "

"Whoa…" Skull muttered, not expecting this reaction.

"As aggressive as you're being right now, Jack. You make a point. This isn't just one person's choice." Joker pointed out, Panther reigned in Carmen and crossed her arms. "We all have to consider our position here, if we kill his Shadow, we can almost guarantee that the real Kamoshida will die. If we don't and just steal his treasures, he may have a change of heart, completely without consequence to us."

"Anyone else wanna take a swing at what Jack said though?" Skull pointed out, "'Cus it's been kinda bothering me how much attention Mona's been payin' panther in an almost creepy way."

" _ **Ain't no almost about it, the cat wants to get some pussy. I can respect that, but play within your own species**_." Jack said, waving Ivory around whilst Ebony was firmly in place pointed at the King.

"W-Well I never!" Mona began, "That's incredibly rude, how could you say such things in front of a lady!"

" _ **I'm not hearing any denial.**_ " Jack pointed out, Panther took a noticeable step towards Skull away from Mona.

"Look, Mona. It's not that I'm not flattered or anything, but it's never going to happen. So I'd appreciate if the advances stopped." Panther said, her arms crossing once more.

Mona began to splutter and plead his case only for a shot to ring out. Jack had fired off into the ceiling, " _ **Awesome, one issue out of the way…**_ can we get back on topic." Finally the Shadow retreated from Jack and stood next to him once more.

" _ **Ugh, sorry about that partner was in there longer than I intended.**_ " Shadow Jack swayed and gripped his head, " _ **I'll catcha soon, I gotta rest…**_ " The Shadow faded away leaving only a single Jack.

"That's another conversation we've gotta have." Skull pointed out, getting a nod from Jack who sheathed Ivory on his hip.

"Look, ignoring what my Shadow said for the moment, I think it'd be best to just force him to confess, killing him only gratifies us. If he serves his time it means that dozens more people get closure from this whole thing." Jack said, putting his case forward.

"I was thinking the same, honestly. I just wanted to scare him." Panther smirked at the stricken expression on the Shadows face.

"Cool, so we're all for just taking the treasure?" Skull said, getting a round of nods.

Jack walked around Kamoshida to stand aside Panther, "So, got anything left to say for yourself?"

" _ **I've… lost. You're through when you lose, what am I supposed to do now?**_ " Kamoshida questioned, pitifully.

"Make amends for all that you did, that's all that's left. Maybe one day, in the future. You can start your life up once more." Akira said quietly, almost to comfort the beaten and battered shadow.

" _ **Yeah… that, that sounds nice. I will return to my real self, and I'll make things better.**_ " Promised the Shadow as he faded away into sparkles of light.

"That's actually a nice ending to it all." Jack admitted quietly, sheathing Ebony on his hip, pulling his mask up and smiling at his team.

"Hey, just so you know we don't have time to waste, this place is about to collapse!"

 **This then led to us all legging it, apparently Joker forgot about the Goho-M in the rush and didn't want to test its validity at such a crucial moment. Skull had a trip at some point but between myself and his own bullheadedness we managed to get out fine.**

" _You have returned to the material world._ " The Meta-Nav reported, " _Destination Deleted_."

"It seems that means it really worked." Akira said, holding his phone with a little grin on his face.

"So what did the treasure end up being?" Ryuji questioned, Menma held up an olympic medal in his hands, "For real? I guess he really couldn't let go of those days."

"Makes sense though, right? Given how gung-ho he was about anything related to it in the palace, the random treasures were hidden in volleyballs for god's sake." Menma said with a wave of his hand.

"So what do we do with it?" Ann questioned.

"Pawn it off, simple really." Morgana said with a cheshire grin.

"I suppose it fits the thief motive even more if we fence our stolen goods for reward." Akira remarked with a smirk, pushing up his glasses as he said so.

"I can do it. I know some people." Menma said with a shrug, swinging the medal around by its cloth.

"Really, Senpai?" Ann questioned, crossing her arms, "What kind of 'people'?"

"Some old people that really like the idea of having false stories to tell." Menma smirked at her, "My dad's old teacher is a total lech, he'd buy anything like this to pick up women easier."

"R-really?" Ryuji snickered, "What the hell? How much do you think you could get for it?"

"From him? Pfft, a couple million yen at the least. Old dude thinks with his dick first and his wallet fourth."

"A-a-a-a million yen!" Ryuji had cash signs in his eyes as he drooled over the idea.

"Split four ways that's 250,000Y each. Pretty good, aye? Might be able to get your ma something sweet." Menma suggested.

"More than that dude!" Ryuji couldn't help the grin on his face, "Damn Senpai you're the best!"

Akira seemed to have zoned out, "250,000Y… my college fund will be safe."

"So much shopping…" Ann said dreamily, "Ooh! I could buy Shiho something.

"That would actually be a really good use for the money." Menma pointed out with a grin, "Thoughtful of you Ann, I'd say I'm impressed by empathy is what I expected from you."

The blond smiled sweetly, "Aww shucks, thanks Senpai."

"H-Hey what about me!" Morgana demanded, "Don't I get anything, I'm the one that helped you all get this far anyway!"

"Sushi doesn't cost 250,000Y Morgana." Menma admonished, sticking the medal into his school bag, "There's only so much a cat can do with that kind of money."

"I am not a-"

"Morgana." Menma cut him off with a piercing stare, "You live in Akira's bag, you live in Akira's house, as a pet, sure in the Metaverse you're helpful and a source of great information. We wouldn't get half as far as we have without you and that can't be taken away from you. But face facts, you lick your own balls, you cough up hairballs, you pur when you get chin scratches, you're a fuckin' cat."

A silence descended on the alleway for a moment, before Ryuji spoke up. "So uhh, should we go celebrate our first success?"

"We could go to a nice restaurant with the money we'll make." Ann suggested, "There's this really ritzy place uptown that costs like, 8,000Y to get into but from what I've heard it's totally worth it."

"That sounds like a good idea." Akira smiled and slipped his bag onto his shoulder, "Senpai do you have a timeframe of when you'll be able to get the money?"

"Give me a few days to get in contact with the old man. I'll let you all know ASAP. But in the meantime how about we all get dinner, on me?" Menma offered with a smile.

"Wow, really Senpai? You don't mind?" Ann questioned, owlishly blinking.

"Sure, it'd be nice to spend an evening with friends for a change... you don't mind if I invite my other half do ya?" He asked suddenly, rubbing his head, "I'd kinda like it if I could involve Makoto in more social activities."

"So I guess that means no Phantom talk." Ryuji sighed and ruffled his hair, "Pfft, yeah of course Senpai, if it's your treat you can bring your girlfriend along."

"I don't mind." Akira assured with a nod.

"Awesome! Ya'll know the diner in Shibuya? Wanna meet there or just go straight there 'cus… uh, after flipping about and fighting a demon I smell a bit." Each of the Phantoms took a moment to sniff themselves and in unison said.

"We'll meet you there."

 **So we went to dinner, and no I'm not skipping this story because I'll do what I want.**

 _Menma we really-_

 **Sae. Sweetheart, darling, apple of my eye. I'm telling the story.**

 **[Niijima Residence Bathroom]**

"So we're going to dinner with some friends of yours? Any reason for the occasion?" Makoto asked as her boyfriend did her eyeliner, for some reason he was much better at getting wings that she was. Which irked Makoto to no end.

"Well, we were hanging out earlier after school and I decided to invite them out, sort of a spur of the moment thing. Besides it's good to get out once in awhile, you can't spend all your time studying just because exams are on the horizon, love." Menma said distractedly as he applied the makeup.

"That's true but I still-"

Menma silenced her with a chaste kiss on her juicy pink lips, his purple eyes looking longingly into her reds, "Stop stressing, Koto." He whispered gently, "You're a brilliantly intelligent young woman, you'll do fine."

"You really think so?" She asked, leaing her head against his.

"Of course I do, Koto." He promised, using the pet name he would when only the two of them were present "I don't know what god I was blessed by, but when I say you've got nothing to worry about, I mean it. You gotta put more faith in yourself."

She looked down for a moment and Menma leant back, "What's wrong?"

Makoto was going to say nothing but her mouth betrayed her, "It's my sister, she's so tense from work recently that… she called me a burden, and a leach that 'eats away at her life'. I try to hard to live up to her expectations but every time I try to take even the smallest break she digs her heels in and flatly calls me an immature child for not thinking more about my future."

Makoto stared at her lap, Menma grabbed a stool and sat before his sun and stars, taking her hands into his, "Koto I want you to look at me." She did so, slowly, "No matter what Sae says, no matter what anyone says _ever_ you are not a burden, okay? You are the hardest working person I it weren't for you dozens of students would have spun out or burnt out, but you, you've got the charisma and the stubbornness to pull people's heads outta their asses and set them straight, now I know it may not mean much but to me, you're the strongest person in the world. And I want you to know that. You're not useless, you're not a burden, you're the reason I get up in the morning. I love you Makoto Niijima and I'd do anything to see you smile. So for whatever that's worth, that's what I think."

Makoto stared at him for a moment, and it almost broke the moment to see her with one finished eye but her gaze suddenly got watery, making him panic, "Thank you." She whispered and pulled him close, burying her head into his shoulder, "I love you too."

His heart beat like a drum at the sound of those words, he felt his own eyes water at that and he gripped her tightly.

 **That's why I'm telling this story, not for the fucking interrogation, for you Sae. Because you need to hear the kind of fucking impact you have on your sister. If you** _ **ever**_ **speak to her like that again there's not a god in this universe that'll keep me from you.**

 _I… admit I have said things In the past that I regret. I suppose I never actually apologised to Makoto for them. I'll make this right, but please you must get back on task with your story._

The Phantom Thieves +1 met up at a restaurant, 'Kaikaya by the Sea' in Shibuya a seafood restaurant that's typically casual but at night has higher expectations of certain patrons, especially those that are going to one of the more exclusive back rooms.

Menma wore a simple white button up shirt with a white singlet beneath, black slacks and dress shoes, a simple canvas belt around his waist with a spiral buckle. A pair of studs in his left ear and a single silver ring with a black gem in the centre on his right middle finger.

Makoto was done up in a long black dress with a slit down each side of her legs, the dress had a spiderweb design at the bottom, she wore black heels and wore a matching silver ring with black gem on her left middle finger.

The dress was a gift from Menma, initially Makoto was too embarrassed to wear it out but eventually Menma convinced her that she had the legs for it and got his wish.

They had to wait a few minutes for the others to show up.

 _[Ryuji: Sorry Senpai, the trains were a little later than we expected, we'll be there ASAP]_

 _[Ann: Told you we should have left earlier.]_

 _[Akira: I'm sure it's not the end of the world.]_

 _[Menma: No stress guys, we've only been waiting a few minutes,]_

"Are they almost here? I don't like some of the stares I'm getting." Makoto said, her cheeks flushed as she pressed her dress down.

"They're just admiring beauty, Koto." Menma whispered into her ear, grinning like a loon, "I can barely keep my eyes off you."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, mister." The brunette chided, but wrapped arn arm around one of his.

Menma leant down and kissed her cheek, "Flattery? Madam I merely tell you the truth."

Makoto smiled up at him, sweeter than sugar ever could be, "Thank you." Those pink lips, that dark eyeliner, that dress, a thick desire welled up in his gut the longer he looked at her.

"Yoo~ Senpai!" Menma suddenly snapped out of his debaucherous thoughts and saw Ryuji, Ann and Akira making their way over.

Akira wore a black jacket over a dark grey dress shirt with white buttons, his pants were a similar dark grey colour and his shoes were black.

Ryuji wore a dark blue dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled up and the buttons undone, it matched well with the white shirt he wore beneath and his black dress pants, few would notice that he wore black sneakers instead of dress shoes. Not that any of the staff would mind either way.

Ann wore a red jacket over a delightfully pink top, a modest cream coloured skirt with black leggings and heels.

Ryuji almost stumbled over his own feet at the sight of Makoto, making Menma grin, "H-holy…"

"You look gorgeous, Niijima-senpai!" Ann gushed, looking the Student Council President up and down.

"Th-thank you very much, Takamaki-san. But please, we're outside of school, you may call me Makoto." The prez allowed.

"Only if you call me, Ann." Insisted the blonde, "But wow… I had no idea you liked this kind of get-up." At the raised brow she clarified, "It's just that, black and spiderwebs are usually a specific kind of clothing trend, not that they don't suit you."

"Ahh, Uzumaki-san! Your party has arrived?" One of the staff questioned, a bright smile on his face.

"Indeed, would you be so kind as to guide us to our booth?" At the man's nod they all followed him through the restaurant into one of the many back rooms, there was a large booth with plenty of leg room, black leather seating and snazzy red carpet, the backdrop for their meal would be a fish tank filled with various colourful sea life.

"It was actually Menma's idea for me to wear this, he bought it for me a few weeks ago… he only just convinced me to put it on." Makoto informed as they were seated.

"I'll be right back with some menu's for you." Assured the waiter.

"Holy crap, Senpai. Are you sure this is okay?" Ryuji asked, looking around it all seemed pretty frivolous.

"Well we could have gone higher up on the metaphorical totem pole but at one point you run into crotchety rich people who get insulted at the idea of teenagers dining within the same postcode." Menma said with a chuckle, "Besides, I felt like seafood."

"And showing off is just a bonus?" Akira jabbed with a grin, Menma matched it broadly.

"Got 'er in one." The two shared a quick laugh as Ann prodded Makoto.

"Sooo~ how long have you and Menma been dating?" She questioned with an impish grin.

"A-About three months, he asked me out when we were in the gym one day." Makoto informed, a fond smile on her face.

"How romantic." Ann drawled goodnaturedly.

"O-oh I thought it was sweet, he was blushing and stumbling over himself to get it out. I think I'm his first girlfriend, he's my first boyfriend at least. So I thought it was incredibly sweet to see this usually confidant and self-assured guy crumble into a mess." Makoto's grin gradually got bigger before she broke out into a delightful giggle, Ann quickly joining her.

"Uh-oh Senpai, looks like big tough guys just a softy." Ryuji ribbed playfully.

"Oh I'm a total sap when it comes to romance, I had no chance." Menma admitted shamelessly.

"Diiiish~" Ann demanded, as the menu's came, "Oh, thank you!"

"Not a problem Miss. Uzumaki-san here's you call button, please alert us if you need anything." The man placed a small button on the table and bowed before leaving.

"Thank you." Menma said cordially, "Nice people here."

"Do you really want to hear about this?" Makoto questioned Ann with an almost clueless expression.

"Of course! It's totally cute, you guys are so stoic and serious at school." Ann said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm not stoic." Makoto rebuked, "I just take my studies seriously, the students know that."

"Sure." Ryuji said with a chortle, Akira snorted into his menu.

"W-what? I'm not!" She assured, looking to Ann, "Why would you say I'm stoic?"

"W-well it's just that-"

"We don't exactly go out of our way to socialise, love." Menma commented, as he looked over the menu, one arm around Makoto's waist, "That'd probably be why."

"Y-Yeah! It's just that you guys are usually so busy with your duties no one gets to see your softer sides." Ann quickly went with the que from Menma who looked at her and wink with a grin.

"Well… I suppose you have a point." Makoto grudgingly admitted.

"So~~ How'd you to meet anyway?" Ryuji prodded.

Menma hummed for a moment, "I suppose we first met when my folks bought the apartment next to Makoto's. I was being a moody shit and decided to go downstairs to the communal gym to punch my angst out against a bag."

"I was on the treadmill when all of a sudden I hear these grunts and something heavy slamming against a bag, at first I thought someone brought a bat into the gym or something." Makoto continued, laughing, "I suppose in hindsight that's silly."

"What had you in a mood?" Akira questioned idly.

"One story at a time." Menma chided, wagging his finger. "Anyway, as I'm going at it who do I see but this fine specimen? Being a hot blooded youth I _had_ to take to the cute girl in the gym, it's almost destiny at that point."

"Getting a little dramatic aren't we?" Makoto said with a chuckle.

"Well I do have a flair for it." Menma said with a grin as he leant into her.

"We can all attest to that." Akira said pointedly, getting a chuckle from his senior.

"Sounds like we'll have plenty of stories tonight." Makoto said, pleased at the idea of consistent conversation.

"Anyway, so that's how we met initially. We bonded over gym time and academics at first but then I discovered that a certain someone had a deep fondness for Yakuza and western action movies." Makoto blushed as her partner shared that tidbit, "Turns out that Niijima rabbit hole goes deep, just to keep things level she learned about my love for cute things and cooking."

"Cute things?" Ann questioned with a grin.

"Puppies, kittens, babies. The usual stuff."

"And baby birds." It was Makoto's turn to grin wolfishly, "One time a bird flew into his window so he nursed it back to health, it ended up giving birth to a clutch of eggs and Menma turned into a gooey mess at the sight of them."

The redhead's cheek matched his hair as he laughed sheepishly, "They're adorable."

"You still got the birds?" Ryuji questioned.

"Nah, they got old enough and flew off one day. Makes sense I suppose they're wild." Menma explained with a shrug.

"So how did you go from gym/movie buddies to ritzy dating duo?" Akira asked, knitting his fingers before his face and leaning into them, hiding his grin.

"Well we spent about two years getting to know one another, eventually I just cracked and _had_ to ask her she said yes, we went to… we went to a BBQ place for out first date right?" Menma questioned both himself and Makoto.

"We did, you were so hungry you got sauce all over your face and couldn't even open the napkin dispenser your hands were so greasy." She broke into a fit of giggles at that, the image of a laughing Makoto wiping a dirty Menma's face filled everyones heads and very quickly they all joined in the laughter.

"Cuuuute~" Ann gushed, between bouts of giggles.

"So, shall we order?" Menma asked with a roll of his eyes, "I dunno about you all but I'm a hungry boy."

"Should we get you some napkins ahead of time?" Akira asked with a chuckle.

Menma facepalmed, "Walked right into that one."

"You super did." The blond delinquent informed, covering his face with his hands so his laughter didn't get too loud.

 **We swapped stories from that point on. That was probably one of the better nights I had in a while. Reguardless it affirmed us as a group, and brought us all closer together. I even made sure the cat got a carepackage home,**

 _How noble of you._

 **Sarcasm is unbecoming of you Miss Niijima.**

 **[End]**

 **Extra long chapter this time, I just kept writing and it didn't seem to stop. I'm enjoying this a lot actually :).**

 **Hope you are all too, if so/if not, lemme know.**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Key:**

 **Menma Narrating**

 _Sae Narrating_

" _ **Shadows/Persona Talking.**_ "

"Humans Talkings."

' _Humans thinking._ '

" _Telepathy/Radios_."

 **A few days after that I ended up spending some time with Akechi, our schedules finally lined so we decided to get coffee.**

Menma, wearing his casual attire of dark blue t-shirt with black 'skinny jeans' and sneakers, Akechi was done up in the same thing he seemed to wear everywhere, a tan jacket black gloves and grey trousers with black dress shoes, he was even carrying his briefcase with a black A on it.

"You seriously need to expand your wardrobe, Akechi." Menma said as he approached the brown haired young man, Akechi smiled before nudging him with his elbow.

"Well we can't all be spending our parents money." The Detective said with a chuckle.

"Straight for the jugular then?" Menma questioned with a raised brow, "I'll have you know I spend my own money. And even then, this stuff is from the basic stores. I'm sorry if my radiance blinded you, Goro-kun." Menma laughed with a faux deep voice as he preened.

"Blinded only by your modesty, I'm sure." Akechi assured, sighing dramatically. "Oh dear, how will I recover?"

"Coffee and Curry?" Menma questioned with an impish grin, Akechi's drama melted away almost immediately.

"Yes!"

The duo ended up in Yongen, their objective a little hole in the wall coffee place called LeBlanc, for some reason the store also did curry but don't question it, it's amazing.

 _Is this going anywhere? We have a limited time and we still need to discuss the Madarame Case._

 **Ugh, fine. Why do I get the feeling that if someone else was telling you this shit we'd be in Freeza time and this hour would last for like… seventy?**

 _What? 'Freeza Time'? Why are you bringing Dragonball into this?_

 **I KNEW IT! I fucking knew it, you** _ **do**_ **actually enjoy something! Ha, looks like Prosecutor Mommy isn't so strict after all.**

 _Exuuuuse you, Uzumaki!?_

 **Madarame right? Well, it's a bit of a time gap but I'll try to fill in the blanks…**

 **Before that you gotta hear about how I basically made Ryuji Sakamoto the happiest boy in the world…**

"Jiraiya-sensei, thank you for meeting with me - us - about this." Menma once more was dressed up to kill the ladies, a dark red dress shirt under a black pinstripe vest with silver buttons, a matching pair of pinstripe trousers and black dress shoes, his silver ring affixed firmly on his middle finger and his studs seemingly vanished from his flesh.

Jiraiya was an older gentleman looking fellow, _long_ white hair that was spiked to hell and back, it easily fell to his thighs and possibly further. He was donned in a custom business suit inlaid with velvet silk, a folded handkerchief in his breast pocket. He looked quite built for his age, he along with the son of his student easily towering above the other residence of the establishment.

Currently Menma, Jiraiya and the Phantom Thieves were in a high-class restaurant that was frequented by several 'old money' types. The looks the others were getting easily agitating the Uzumaki scion to no end.

"Hey kiddo, no need to be so formal. I _am_ your godfather, no matter how much you deny it." The old man said, his voice was deep and rich and warm smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He played for keeps.

Menma leant forward across the long coffee table between them, "Forgive me, Jiraiya-san but you always said to leave relations outside of business meetings."

"Well done, I approve. So, are you going to introduce me to your friends?" The older man said simply, crossing one leg over the other.

"Of course, these are my kouhai from school, Ryuji Sakamoto. Ann Takamaki, and Akira Kurusu… and Akira's cat Morgana."

Akira flushed a little at Morgana being pointed out, though the saving grace was that several wealthy women seemed to have carted their pets around as well, so it wasn't completely out of the ordinary.

The group wore their Sunday best to the meeting, as requested by their 'Acquisition Master'.

"A pleasure to meet you all, tell me, has Menma said anything to you about me?" Jiraiya asked, as a waitress came over and gave them their menu's, "Thank you dear."

"O-Only that you taught his father, Jiraiya-san." Ann said with a slight hitch in her throat, unused to situations such as this, to her it felt like some kind of high-end deal with the devil.

"That's true, hmm… I think it must have been at least twenty years ago. I had a run in with a few punks who were trying to mug me and some random police officer comes and gets in the middle of it, the guy fights them all off like it was nothing, fastest young man I've ever seen to this day." Jiraiya slipped away into the memory as he recounted it.

"I asked him, 'Who are you?' He tells me his name and I say, 'You've got a spark in you kid, and I can't in good conscious let it go unnurtured.' So I tell him that if he ever wants to break into the business world instead of just doing grunt officer work, to give me a call. I don't know what ended up happening but a few months later he calls me and we start working together." Jiraiya had a fond smile on his face the whole time he spoke.

"My plan for Minato was to start him on a few low-tier ventures to see how he'd handle them, initially it was a bit shaky, he wasn't familiar with what had to be done to make certain things succeed but he stuck through it all the way. Fast forward a few years and this little one comes around-" He took a sip from his coffee as he pointed at Menma who remained stoic throughout the story, "-And tells me it's time to lay roots, create something his son can have if something ever happened."

"So my father created Apex. Started from a little shop in some nowhere town, as you instructed, and after years of cultivating it on the side of several other projects, it bore fruit." Menma summarised finally, "It really only started to be a big name recently, and even then we still have contenders."

"But that same drive that kept your father going all these years, burns brighter in you than it ever did in him, kiddo. You're gonna take the world by storm, I know it." Jiraiya assured.

"So it's kinda like that show in America? The Apprentice, or whatever?" Ryuji asked, tilting his head in thought.

"I suppose it is, isn't it." If Jiraiya had a problem with that summary he didn't show it, "I could say that from now on, it'd certainly cut down on story-time." A bright grin lit up the old man's face, making Ryuji match it.

"Pfft, I guess even Ryuji can say things of merit at times." Morgana drawled from his spot next to Akira, the blond haired boy almost reacted on instinct at that point but reeled it in.

"So, let's get down to brass tacks. What do you have for me?" Menma pulled up a briefcase and popped it open, sliding it around to Jiraiya, "Ooh, a medal… authentic too. How'd you get it?"

"Donated to us by someone who no longer requires it." Menma informed in a clipped tone, "You're the first person I thought of when I acquired it, either for yourself, or for someone else. Either way, I know you want it."

"I _do_ enjoy telling stories…" Jiraiya admitted.

"Imagine, if you will. An inspiring story, this could be the inspiration for your next book. The tale of young man, or woman, who is given just such a medal and uses the image of themselves earning their own to shoot for the top." Menma suggested, the old man actually seemed to consider it and pulled out a notebook, "Either that or it could be used for… other means."

"I'd probably say both." The old man said easily, tapping his chin with a pen. His eyes lifted to his godson and narrowed, "How much?"

"10 Million." Menma said immediately, making the other's almost jump out of their skins.

"A little steep. How about 6." Rebuked the old man.

"A genuine article? You'd have to claw it from my cold dead hands at 6. 9 Million."

"So you _are_ willing to budge. Good to know… as you _are_ all just kids this is probably the only way you'll get rid of it. I'll give you 7 Million and nod a dollar more." Jiraiya crossed his arms.

"How about 8 and I give you full details of my initial encounter." Menma offered with a knowing look, Jiraiya seemed taken aback.

"You'd share that with me?" The older man questioned, seemingly dumbstruck.

"Ah. worth that much to you? 10 million. I'll give you an audio recording." Menma said, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Deal!" Jiraiya whipped out his checkbook and immediately jotted down the intended amount. He ripped it from his book and handed it over, Menma accepted it and shook hands with his godfather.

"'Know your target'. Right Kyoufu?" Menma smirked and slipped the check into a pocket inside his vest.

"I _knew_ I taught you well." Jiraiya plucked the medal from the case and slid it back to his godson, "So, lunch on me?"

"T-te-ten-ten…" Ryuji had seemingly shut down, Ann had actually fainted and Akira looked pale.

"So ferocious…" Muttered the glasses wearing youth.

 _So you swindled a medal for 10 million yen? What's this 'initial encounter'?_

 **The medal wasn't worth the money it took to get it there, not really. Jiraiya-kyofu has always been hounding me to get laid and tell him all about it for his next book. I essentially agreed to give him an audio-recording of my first time.**

 _Are you serious?_

 **Don't worry. I never said it was good audio.**

 _You sly devil…_

 **The devil, is in the details. My dear Niijima.**

 _How did this exactly make Sakamoto-san happy?_

Menma left the bank to meet his peers once more, adjusting his collar he strode towards them, "You all may wish to check you bank accounts." Within seconds all of them had their phones out and slowly their expressions melted into pure glee.

Ryuji however, started crying.

"S-senpai…" He croaked out, Menma looked startled as the young man hugged him, "You got no idea what this means to me man… for my mum, just for my future. You-you...you-"

Menma slipped his briefcase out of his hand and pulled the younger male into a tight embrace, "Ryuji Sakamoto, you can _always_ count on me and your friends to have your back. This is the first step on the long road ahead, but we took it together."

Ann's eyes watered a little, Akira looked like a great weight was pulled from his shoulders and Morgana allowed the moment to pass naturally.

Ryuji pulled back and nodded, accepting the handkerchief that was offered to him to clean himself up, "Th-thanks, Senpai-Nah, thanks Menma. You're a real pal. I know it probably seems hollow, sayin' that after you got us all this money bu-" Menma placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I get you, it's moments like this where stuff like that has to be said, yeah?" Ryuji nodded and Menma smiled, "No need to fret over perception, we're - as the saying goes - thick as thieves."

 **Ryuji's dad walked out on him, but not before leaving plenty of wounds that took years to heal, if they even are, his mother raised him on her own. That money meant that a preassure could be taken off her, and him. It was a small way that I could make a friend's life better.**

 _It also set's a dangerous president for ambition, 10 million yen isn't exactly pocket change._

 **Everyone needs a motivator… where was I before this? Oh right** **so basically, Yusuke Kitagawa approached Ann to model for a painting he was putting together, apparently blonde and busty is rare. Ryuji and Akira were with her at the time and ended up going to the art exhibition…**

"Stop playing with your tie." Scolded a beautiful redhaired woman with light purple eyes, fair skin and a long black dress on. A purse held in her left hand as she swatted her son.

Menma was done up in a white dress shirt, a black vest and tie over that, a pair of dark trousers and dress shoes to finish it off.

"It's tight." Menma lamented with a roll of his eyes. "Why are we even here?"

"Because unlike your father I actually have an interest in the artistic scene." Kushina sniffed with a faux haughty look on her face, "My boy won't grow into a savage if I can help it."

"Hmm. And _why_ did you drag Makoto into this?" Menma prodded further, raising his brow, the beautiful girl on his left enraptured by one of the paintings tucked away in a corner.

"Don't act like she's not having fun, spoilsport." Kushina poked her tongue and snickered.

"Very mature, mum." Menma groaned out, only for the woman to take one his arms and drag him towards the painting Makoto was looking at.

"Aww, big Menma-chan doesn't want to be seen having fun with his sweet mother. Where did my happy little boy go?" Prodded the Uzumaki Matriarch.

"Ahh, Madame Uzumaki so kind of you to appear." An eldery voice struck their collective ears, Madarame Ichiryusai, grey hair held into a conservative ponytail, a small goatee framing his chin, he wore a pale green haori with a dark grey kimono underneath, the man was the picture of humble artist.

"Well after receiving an invite how could we say no, Madarame-san? This is my son, Menma. I'm trying to culture him before his father's brutish behavior sticks." Kushina said easily, a smile on her face.

Madarame chuckled throatily at that, dipping his head to the young redheaded male who seemingly towered above the populace within the art exhibition, "A pleasure to meet you Menma-kun."

"And you, Madarame-san. I must say… for one man you certainly have a varied and unpredictable style." Menma commented as he looked around, "It would seem having had so many pupils over the years has gifted you with talent _and_ variety. Quite the accomplishment."

Madarame preened under the praise, though he did a good show of not being too obvious about it. "Thank you sincerely for your kind words, Menma-kun. If you'll excuse me I must attend to some matters." The old painter walked away to speak with a man in a suit for a moment.

"That dude is suss as fuck." Menma muttered, only to be hit on both shoulders by his mother and his girlfriend.

"Menma! Please control your language in public." Makoto hissed quietly, trying to avoid drawing attention to them.

"Tell me I'm wrong." Menma demanded with crossed arms, "The voices in my head told me so."

" _ **That man… he reeks of malice. I can his foetid odour floods this place!**_ " Came Cerberus' disgusted information, " _ **Kill him! Cease his corruption! Eek out his palace! Come master, we must away!**_ "

" _ **Now-now, Cerb'. Must you be so quick to the prize? The chase is on, to be sure, but our master must find where the prize resides.**_ " Swift soothed.

 **Just to note, Cerberus picking up on that is one of the reasons I ended up more agile than Joker. Most of my free time ended up fixing societal ills.**

 _So you moonlit as Jack to… change the hearts of the masses?_

 **Only those I interacted with through the company. I wanted Apex to be as upstanding as possible, the last thing I'll ever need is corruption around my company.**

 _That's an… interesting approach to it._

 **Look Sae, at the end of the day all of us just wanted to make the world a better place.**

"Voices?" Makoto questioned, "Is this your attempt at humour?"

"What, intuition counts as voices right?" Menma said with a smile.

"No. No it doesn't. Come on before you say something silly." Makoto dragged him off, leaving Kushina grinning ear to ear, only to get a call suddenly.

"Oh… Mina-kun, hello!... What do you mean? Since when? I-I'll be right there." She slipped her phone away and quickly chased after her eavesdropping son and his better half.

"Sochi, your dad needs some help with something, don't wait up at home okay?" She kissed his cheek, and then Makoto's "Have fun you two." Quickly the Uzumaki Matriarch fled the scene.

"What's all that about?" Makoto asked suspiciously.

"I don't know… but I've got this horrible feeling." Menma threaded his fingers into Makoto's, "C'mon, show me the ones you like most."

"Yo~ Senpai, didn't take you for an artsy guy." M&M Stopped dead as Ryuji, Akira and Ann made their way over to them, all in casual attire.

"Mum wants me to be cultured." Menma explained easily, "What about you guys?"

"We're uh… scoutin'. Ya'know, for art 'n' stuff." Ryuji explained lamely.

"We were invited by a new friend, the guy we messaged you about-Oh Kitagawa-kun!" Ann explained before she found the person she was looking for, he wore a purple button up shirt and black skinny jeans, a visible ring of keys hanging off his belt.

"Ah, Takamaki-san. So good of you to make it, and it seems you brought your friends as well." He greeted cordially, though his expression wavered when he looked at the two males accompanying Ann.

"Are you one of Madarame-san's pupils, Kitagawa-san?" Makoto questioned, drawing the young man to her and her boyfriend.

"Yes…" He looked at their connected hands and then took a step back, framing them in his fingers, "Hmmm... you two compliment each other quite well. Could you move slightly closer." Menma shrugged and released Makoto's hand, sliding behind her and putting his hands around her waist and kissing her cheek.

Yusuke had a moment, "Magnificent… Truly a lover's passion flows like a river." He said with a bright smile, "You are quite the couple, if you have some free time I'd love to capture that essence."

"Do we have to be naked?" Menma asked, though from the look on his face it wasn't something he wished to avoid.

"Menma!" Makoto looked scandalized.

"Not entirely no… we can go over the details another time, here… so you may contact me about it." Yusuke offered the redhead a card which he accepted, "Please, enjoy the exhibition. Takamaki-san may I have some of your time?"

"Sure." Ann followed the artist but made a heart with her hands at the couple.

"Interesting guy." Menma said, showing Makoto the card.

"You two are adorable." Akira commented, adjusting his glasses with a smirk.

"Thanks." Menma grinned widely.

"We didn't really… do anything." Makoto tried to brush off the comment.

 **Anyway, so that's how I initially came into contact with both Madarame and Yusuke. With Cerberus' warning I was more high-strung about getting dirt on the bastard. Turns out the other's already had that all covered so I just had to wait until we got into the Metaverse…**

 **So to cut a long story slightly short, Ann and Morgana did some ploy with Yusuke wherein they would pop open Madarame's Sayuri stash in front of the old guy, thereby making it so the locked off part of the palace actually opened.**

 _Because his cognition of the room itself was altered._

 _ **Exactly.**_

 _And Kitagawa-san? How did he end up joining your group._

 **After that little incident…**

Jack, Skull and Joker all waited around before giant, gaudy golden palace within the Museum of Madarame.

Jack was fiddling with his guns, trying to spin them on his fingers and sheath them into his holsters in one move, with… varied success.

Skull was pacing slightly to keep himself moving.

Joker just stared at the raised defences with a stern glare, as though willing them to fall.

"So… you guys buy anything cool?" Jack questioned as he dropped Ivory.

"Nah, gave half of my share to Ma and the other half into a savings account for later in life… I thought about some stuff and figured, sure I could buy stuff now but I'm still kinda young and I may not make the best choice." Skull admitted as he continued pacing.

"That's quite mature of you." Joker commented with a smirk.

Skull grinned, "Right? Scary huh?"

"It's a positive change. I'm sure your mother was stunned and concerned." Jack pointed out.

"Yeah she… kinda hounded me about it for a while, and I thought about superheros for a sec, ya know? How they keep their lives hidden from their loved ones to keep 'em safe? Well my Ma can take care of herself, and I felt better being able to get it off my chest… so I told her about us." Skull waited for either Jack or Joker to turn around and berate him, but the Red Rogue kept spinning his gun and the Gentleman Thief didn't even flinch.

"You're aren't mad?" Skull questioned.

"Should we be? It's your mum, dude. If you trust her, that's enough for us." Joker said with a shrug, "Besides, that whole 'double life' thing is stupid. The villains _always_ find out in the leaving the families totally blindsided."

"Right? So stupid." Jack commented, "Ah-ha!" In one fluid move he slipped Ivory out of her holster, made a fake shot and slid her back in.

"Well done." Joker clapped slowly as the Red Rogue preened grandiosely.

"Wait, you guys seriously ain't mad?" Skull questioned, "For real?"

"Skull, really it's fine. So long as we don't go shouting who we are from the rooftops, telling your loved ones - provided they can keep a secret - is natural." Joker assured, "On that note I'm shocked you haven't said anything to the President." This was directed at Jack.

"What do I say? 'Hey babe just going to hang out with those guys your sister is investigating, oh BT-Dubs, I'm one of them.' That'd go down well." Jack said, words oozing with sarcasm.

"Well I assumed you'd handle it with more tact, but basically. Yes." Joker said with a chuckle.

"...Maybe one day soon I'll take her down into Mementos, just to give her context for it all… I just don't know how to broach the subject with her about it. I trust her, don't get me wrong but…" Jack struggled to find the right words and instead shook his head.

"But it's not just about convincing them, it's about what they think afterwards." Joker supplied, getting a nod from his peer, "I can understand that."

"I suppose with Ma I just had an immediate in, she was more willing to accept that I was a Phantom Thief that fixed Kamoshida than a drug-pushing, smuggler." Skull admitted, chuckling.

"And then there's how… controlled she always is, I don't know if she really notices it but she always just _goes along_ with whatever her sister or any authority figure says. Like I said, I trust her, but I don't exactly trust her lawful inclinations." Jack rubbed his hooded head, "Does that make sense?"

"Valid fears generally lead to valid hesitation, though sooner or later you'll have to tell _someone_." Joker pointed out, "I don't know how long I can keep it hidden from Sakura-san."

"That's the dude that runs the cafe you're stayin' at right?" Skull asked, getting a nod, "We gotta check that place out soon, I'm pretty curious."

"Cafe…? Wait, Sojiro Sakura? Owner of LeBlanc?" Joker nodded, Jack laughed, "That's crazy, I went there with a friend of mine not too long after the Kamoshida case. Small world."

"Maybe next time I'll catch you." Joker said with a smile and a shrug.

"Wouldn't be a very good Phantom Thief if I got caught anywhere." Jack said, nudging Joker with his elbow, "Eh? Ehhh?"

"Yes-yes, very funny."

"Hey look-The grid came down!" Skull suddenly said.

"Inside!" Joker ordered.

They raced across the small courtyard and into the private section of the museum, their goal was to reach the localised security console to keep the outside defences from popping back up, thankfully it was just inside and to the left, the first sight Jack came upon when they entered was a security guard in a red suit with a heart shaped mask., he stood in the way of their immediate entrance so immediately noticed them all.

" _ **Lord Madarame forbids intruders! You shall feel the full force of His wrath!**_ " The shadow exploded before emerging as a large yellow creature with a lion's body, a face that was featureless and black with a long mouth filled with white pointed teeth, and finally a snake for a tail.

"It's three on one, you'd swear these shadows have no self-preservation." Jack muttered, getting nods from his comrades. "A thought just occured to me, remember how everyone's combined attacks against Kamoshida's cup made the thing straight up _explode_. What if we tried to accommodate that into our usual battle-strat? Ya'know making two moves hit at the same time and see what combos do what?"

"Alright, let's give it a go." Joker said with a shrug, "Suzaku!"

"Captain Kidd!"

"Swift!"

Something resonated in the chests of each young man, they felt a true bond and the power within it for that exact moment.

"Garula/Zio/Freila!" The Wind spun and collected the Lightning, within the core of it was a nestled blast of Nuclear energy, the attack shot off with a deafening boom and struck the Shadow, the explosion rocked the ground beneath them sending each of the Thieves tumbling for a moment, as the smoke cleared it revealed not even a scrap of evidence the shadow ever existed.

"That-" Joker began, gobsmacked.

"-Was-" Jack continued rubbing his hands together.

"AWESOME!" Skull finished with a great whoop of glee, "Hell yeah man, that was incredible!"

 **That's how the beauty that is Combo-Cheese was born.**

 _Excuse me, the what?_

 **Our bigboy damage attack that killed shit quickly and made life ever so much easier. C'mon Sae keep up with the modern lingo.**

… _.Continuing on._

 **Right so Yusuke and Ann end up falling into the Metaverse, Yusuke has a few moments of self-reflection and acknowledgement before finally he awakens, we get into a scuffle before beating feat and getting outta there. Resolving to pick up where we le** ft off the next day…"

Menma's vision swam for a moment as he clutched his head, Sae leant over the table and held his face, "Menma-come one don't pass out on me now…" She bit her lip as she worried over him.

"Bleh…" Muttered the Red Rogue as he face planted the table.

 **[Lair of Alibaba]**

Within her NEET-hole, Futaba Sakura used her keen mind in order to find her way into the camera for the interrogation room that Joker was supposed to be in, but in his place was Jack.

She sent a message to the other's that she got a video feed, they were on their way.

"Stupid-stupid-stupid!" Futaba berated herself, "Why did we may such a contrived plan to begin with! Ughh!"

"Futaba!" Akira's voice on the other side of her door sounded, at her behest he came in, ignoring how cluttered the room was, and how twitchy Futaba seemed.

Quickly the rest of the Phantoms piled into the room Morgana, Yusuke, Ann, Ryuji, Haru and Makoto.

"What've you got?" Akira asked, looking at the video feed before them.

"Same place, same conditions. The only problem is the lack of program on his phone to trigger the Metaverse app." Futaba summarized with a frown.

"He seems like he's in a pretty bad way…" Ryuji commented softly, looking over the orange haired girl to see his friend groaning against a metal table.

"Right so… how do we get him out?" Akira questioned, rhetorically as his brain went nuts trying to figure a way out for his friend and comrade.

"Well if he is as you say Makoto 'friends' with Sae-san. Than perhaps he could persuade her to assist him even easier than Akira could." Yusuke said simply.

"That's all well and good but without the program to activate the Meta-nav then he can't get out of there." Morgana said with a frown.

"Troubling…" Yusuke murmured, looking down.

"Surely there's something we can do? If Akechi doesn't get to him then he's as good as gone anyway!" Makoto exclaimed, stress easily visible from her stricken expression.

"Menma-kun…" Haru whispered softly.

"Stop panicking!" Morgana ordered, "He's a Phantom Thief! We all are and the last thing that's going to happen is that Jack goes down!"

"So… what're we gonna do? Words are nice and all but we gotta help him."

"Alright amateurs pay attention." Futaba said with a roll of her eyes, pulling up Menma's phone and putting some strange collar on, " _ **Watch Alibaba work.**_ " Her impish grin was offset by the bassy, distorted voice that came out of the collar.

 **[Interrogation Chamber]**

"Ugh, my head… my everything…" Menma lamented, "Right, anyway." Menma sat upright, ignoring the flare of pain in his shoulder.

"Are you alright to continue? We can postpone this until you get a medical?"

"Sae, I'm gonna level with you. I don't think I'm going to walk out of this." Menma spoke, his face downcast, "Not just because of what's going to happen afterwards, but because there's a whole grand plan at play here. We, and by we I mean myself and my cohorts, are using this opportunity to draw out a traitor." Menma informed, resting one arm on the table and leaning in.

"A traitor?" Sae questioned skeptically. "Here I was thinking the Phantom Thieves were above such things."

"It seems we've got to work on our vetting process-not the point." Menma said sharply, "When you leave here, another person is going to come. That person is going to give you some bullshit excuse to come down here, don't believe him but let him pass. Give it a few minutes before you come back down here… I'll have dealt with it. I'm asking a lot of you Sae, but I need you to trust me. There is shit going down here that you need to know about and an hour long interview isn't going to cut it."

"Menma this is absurd, you can't just expect our knowing one another to act as some get out of jail free card, you commit grievous crimes. You have to accept your punishment." Sae said, though the conviction in her eyes wavered.

"Listen up, and I'll tell you what happened each time we fought and spoke with the Shadows of our 'victims'."

 **Madarame ended up turning into a fucking painting, this was after telling us all that he's the reason Yusuke's mother died, as he just** _ **let**_ **her expire while having a seizure.**

 _How repulsive. What did you mean by him turning into a painting though?_

 **Parts of his face, ya'know? Each eye, his nose, his mouth…**

 _You sound uncomfortable._

 **I didn't like being nibbled on by an old man.**

"He bit me!" Jack screeched (roared), leaping back to avoid another chomp from the combat form of Shadow Madarame.

"Pfft…" Skull snickered as he summoned his Persona, "Bad Beat!" Kidd slid across his boat and swiped his skeletal hand through the air, each fragment of Madarame was hit with a black raking, slash.

"Ugh! Skull, you just healed it!" Some parts of the painting knitted themselves together at the physical energy being thrust upon them, Morgana looked quite upset… to put it lightly.

"Ugh! Whatever, look it was only the mouth so it's no biggy!" Skull rebuked, "Tag in!" Ann accepted the call and begun rapid-firing Agidyne into the Mouth.

"Everyone take a part and focus on it!" Joker ordered, Fox, dressed accordingly for the name, summoned Goemon to Giant Slice the nose.

Skull and Jack tag-teamed to combine their Persona's attacks, "Ready partner?" Jack questioned, flipping his knife into its holster before holding up his hand.

Skull gripped it firmly, "Yeah, let's take this old bastard down!" Captain Kidd and Cerberus appeared behind the duo. The pair looked at one another before moving in sync, Cerberus burst into golden fire before vanishing, the flames circled the skeleton Captain and funneled into his cannon arm.

"Hades Cannon!" The duo shouted as a great orb of golden energy fired off, all three heads of Cerberus appearing to wipe out the two eyes, Yusuke had dealt with the Nose with some assistance from Morgana, in the meantime Akira and Ann had destroyed the mouth, all parts fell onto the ground before melting in a large black puddle.

From within the puddle Madarame rose, he looked ragged and haggard, Joker gave the signal and all six thieves surrounded the man.

" _ **Damn you all! I am the great Madarame! The Madarame who draws a full crowd every time he opens an exhibit… I am not someone that worthless brats like you are**_ **allowed** _**to defy!**_ "

"You still have the gall to speak this way?" Demanded Fox, his assault rifle trained on the man, "You will fully taste the wrath of those who were preyed upon by you!

"Do it!" Joker demanded, the All Out Attack was executed, once more it felt like a blur, every lash, every cut, every strike like a haze of red overtook them all, before the all landed together in a lineup, like something out of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R.

 _Only you would bring that up at a time like this._

Madarame collapsed, crawling towards his Treasure, the Original Sayuri. Yusuke stood between the failed artist and the token of his desires, his fox mask giving him a stoic air.

" _ **No one cares for true art, they all just want recognisable brands! I-I'm a victim of a broken system, wouldn't you agree Yusuke!?**_ " Demanded the golden robed man.

"Ugh, excuses." Skull muttered, kicking at the pavement in disgust.

" _ **The art world revolves around money, you cannot rise above without the means to do so! I could not return to the way things were! Yusuke you must understand, being a poor artist is no way to live**_ **.** " Plead the Shadow, only for him to be snatching up and held aloft, Fox grabbing his collar and staring him dead in the eye.

"A fiend such as yourself has no place speaking of art! You're done for, along with this abominus world!" Fox spoke, his voice coloured by grim promise.

" _ **N-No! Please, don't just kill me!**_ "

"Return to your true self! Confess your crimes and seek redemption!" Fox demanded.

" _ **You-you're not going to kill me?**_ "

"Swear to me that you will do it!"

" _ **Alright-Alright I swear!**_ " Madarame took notice of Fox's peers seemingly counting them off in his head, " _ **What about the other one though? The one with the black mask?**_ "

"Black mask?" Ann questioned, looking at her friends.

"There's another intruder besides us in this palace?" Questioned Morgana.

Jack cracked his knuckles and moved towards the downed man, "Alright buddy, fess up. Who're you talking about?" Jack rolled his knife between his fingers as he crouched down.

" _ **H-he said that if we ever stepped out of line we'd be disposed of! Just like the Mental Shutdown cases!**_ "

 **Madarame was all too happy to share the details with us, initially I thought it was a Shadow trying to get out of Returning, but later facts would reveal it to be true. The one at the top of all this had his own personal attack dog that was running about killing people off.**

 _Do you have names for either?_

 **I do. Akechi Goro is the assassin. And his puppet-master is Masayoshi Shido, the man trying to rally support to be elected Prime Minister.**

 _Surely you're kidding? How did you come to that conclusion?_

 **I got confirmation from Cerberus that Akechi was bad news but I kept ignoring it, not wanting to admit it. No body likes to find out their friend's hiding some dark shit from them. Turns out the Goro hole goes further than most peoples.**

 _How do you mean?_

 **Every mental shutdown case that has occured? It's Akechi, I don't know how many people he's killed but those subways get pretty fucking packed. So it's at least in the hundreds.**

 _And how is it you came upon this information?_

 **Akechi doesn't want anyone to know, rightly so, but he's got his own Shadow that follows him around, his and mine had a little chat and the information got back to me. Since Philemon gave me my powers before they naturalised, my Shadow never had to be defeated for me to gain a Persona, nor did I have to fight against any great oppression.**

 **I imagine Akechi is much the same way, though I don't know what source he drew from.**

 _So Akechi's shadow met yours, the two had a conversation and… what? This isn't something you've thought to resolve?_

 **You're the first person I've told about it.**

 **[Phantom Thieves]**

"Akechi really is a monster…" Haru said, her eyes devoid of light.

"And that guy had the balls to try and say _we_ are a problem!?" Ryuji cursed, feeling the need to punch something.

"We knew it would be something… but not this." Akira muttered.

"Futaba, why have you still not done your thing?" Morgana prodded.

"He seems to have this under control…" The ginger muttered with a narrow gaze.

 **[Menma and Sae]**

"So… what's the plan?" Sae asked with a low tone.

"When our time is up, you leave. Act completely natural, when you meet Goro in the hallway pull out my phone, pretend to open it but press this button." Menma pointed out the red pulsing eye icon, "I'm going to deal with him on an even playing field. Give me five minutes and then come back."

"Are you certain this is the best option?" Sae questioned with a cocked brow.

"Murder of the innocent, en masse? Corruption of the upper echelons of government? Sae I'm just getting fucking started, if no one else is going to stand up and fix this country? I will. It all starts here."

"Very well… I'm risking a lot trusting you, you know?" Sae said with a flat stare.

"I'll make it up to you, I swear." The silver haired woman nodded absently as she checked her watch, "How much time we got left?"

"Enough for you to tell me one more story." Sae said with a smirk.

"I did promise after all… alright it was just before she awakened her **Persona, when we first encountered Junya Kaneshiro. That's who we were pursuing, the fat sack of shit met us at the front of his Palace, a floating money vacuum over Shibuya….**

 **[End]**

 **Hope you liked it, if so/not let me know.**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Key:**

 **Menma Narrating**

 _Sae Narrating_

" _ **Shadows/Persona Talking.**_ "

"Humans Talkings."

' _Humans thinking._ '

" _Telepathy/Radios_."

 **...Makoto decided to play hero and use herself as bait, it ended poorly and put us in a position where we had to pay Kaneshiro 3 Million Yen. Now, I don't care how much money we got together over our careers,** _ **no one**_ **extorts and Uzumaki.**

 **And** _ **no one,**_ **lays a finger on my Makoto.**

Smoke. Alcohol. Thick scent in the air. Lungs feel tight. Arms heavy.

Man. Man touching her. _**No one touches her.**_

Before any of the other Phantoms could move, Menma had seemingly shot forward and drove his knee into the side of a man in a black jumpsuit with a golden dragon motif. He was holding down a struggling Makoto Niijima, currently they were all within Junya Kaneshiro's personal club.

The man in question sat in the corner of a booth, some floozy on his arm, another man sat at the end of the booth, picking at his nails with a knife, finally a man sat with one hand in his pocket and a glass of what smelt like whiskey.

None of that mattered.

" _ **Don't you touch my Makoto!**_ " Roared Menma-no. Menma wasn't there at the moment.

Only Jack.

Philemon's first chosen few did not have to deal with the Metaverse, neither did his second. Nor their descendants. The power of Persona dwelt within one's heart, not their mind.

And when one's heart experiences rage so black it blots out the sun? A profound darkness spawns within.

 _Master… do you hear me? Can you feel me Master?_

 _How I yearn for your touch, how I yearn to quench your undying anger!_

 _Unleash me Master, call me from within the Sea of Souls!_

 _I am…!_

" _ **Purge them, Setesh!**_ " From behind the Aeon Personification rose a tall figure, his head that of a bloodthirsty jackal, its body was rippling with muscle and burnt onto each shoulder was an ankh, held in one hand was a long, slim staff with a simple pointed head and a two-pronged pommel.

Setesh covered his modesty with a long flowing skirt, completely white in colour with a golden sash around his waist, in place of shoes Setesh wore a pair of golden bangles. The gangsters all recoiled in horror as their potential victim's knee sent one of their peers into a wall, a sickening cracking noise was heard a pool of blood formed around his head as he slid to the ground.

Setesh barked loudly startling them all, he lunged forward and stabbed his staff into the man with the knife, instead of causing bodily harm the man seemingly passed out, Menma leapt over Makoto and axe kicked the sitting man into the table, glass shattered violently and another loud snapping noise was heard.

"W-w-waa…?" Junya tried to back away but being that he sat in the corner he really didn't have anywhere to go.

" _ **Yes my Master, yyyeeess! We shall torment him, body and soul…**_ " Setesh purred loudly, easily heard by some of the other patrons who quickly evacuated. Setesh leant down around his Master, his large head resting on the teens shoulder, " _ **...hmm this woman's flesh pleases mine eye, Master.**_ "

The woman went dreadfully pale before blacking out, and landing face first onto the unconscious man with the knife, "Junya Kaneshiro, you've threatened my love. You've threatened my fellow students, you've threatened Shibuya."

"Dude… I-I-I can't move." Ryuji whimpered as he tried to grab onto someone.

"Neither can I." Yusuke said, his unfalteringly calm voice a few octaves higher than usual.

"Is Senpai gonna-he wouldn't would he?" Ann questioned quietly.

"Jack!" Morgana shouted garnering the attention of the Egyptian Persona and its Master, "Think about what you're doing! You have to calm down! Makoto is scared to death!"

"M-Makoto!" Menma suddenly snapped out of whatever rage filled haze he was in, Setesh rolling his eyes and bonking Kaneshiro on the head with his staff before seeping back into his Master.

Menma picked her up and dusted her off before pulling her in close, "Oh Makoto, you're okay!"

All of the others were able to move once more, but all of them remained silent, somehow all of them but Menma managed to notice the horrified look on his girlfriends face.

"Menma w-what was all that? D-Did you kill those people!" Makoto pushed him away making him squawk in shock and trip over a table that was loaded with booze, cigarettes and drugs, a bottle of wine smashed into his head making him groan and he lay on the floor for a moment writhing.

"Whoa Senpai!" Ryuji and Akira moved to help only for Makoto to call them off.

"Do not help him yet!" Ordered the girl, somehow this made their spines turn to ice, those furious red eyes pinning them.

"Did you kill them! There's blood all over the wall, this man seems to have more glass than skin on his back, let's not begin with whatever demon you managed to conjure up and attack those other people with!" Makoto was caught between furious, terrified, and thoroughly disappointed.

Menma's vision swam for a moment but thankfully Persona Users are generally hardier folks, along with Setesh's whispers and healing words he managed to get up, ignoring the several cuts on his palms as he did so.

"They aren't dead… just injured." Blood dripped down Menma's face, right between his eyes and down the left side of his nose, he grimaced as he got up and swayed on his feet slightly, "As for the other two? Unconscious." Menma placed one hand on his hip, and slipped the thumb of his other hand through a belt loop, "Your angry."

"Of course I am, you assaulted _four_ people! For what? Just so that we could leave faster?" Menma's nostrils flared as he shot back.

"I did it to protect _you_! You just ran off without me to get into some fuckin' car with _actual mobsters_! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you Makoto, you're my-"

"Shut up! Stop calling me 'yours'!" Exploded the girl, making him take a physical step back, "I'm not yours! I'm not some accessory for you to drag around to show off to your friends! I'm not some lonely charity case you need to shower with attention and gifts!" Makoto continued.

"Dude…" Ryuji mouthed to Akira who's eyes were filled with worry.

"And I'm not your 'sun and stars' or your 'reason to get up in the morning'! You just like to fuck me! Well guess what, I like to fuck you too but that's not what this is about anymore! You're a flirty, self-centered, self-aggrandizing jackass! You think you're always right and I hate it! I'm not your goddamn doll that you can dress up and have your way with just because I'm new to all this!" Makoto's eyes were wet, her cheeks were flushed and she clenched her fists so tight dark red spots filled her palms.

"But I-I jus- Makoto please…" The heartbreak in his eyes made all the Phantoms wince.

"No. No more Menma. I don't know what kind of power trip you're on right now, but it's over between us. I'll always care about you, but I can never love you."

I can never love you.

I can never love you.

I can never love you.

Menma's world took a spiral at that, deep within his subconscious he heard a bloodcurdling scream he steadied himself against the wall for a moment, "This isn't just about today is it. Obviously it isn't." Menma corrected himself, his voice hoarse.

"No, it's not. I noticed a change in you after we… had our first time, you got pushier, more controlling. It wasn't the boy I cared for." Makoto said, looking down.

"So why didn't you say anything to me, Makoto? The last thing I want is for you to be unhappy!" Menma demanded, a fire in his gaze.

"Because you changing to suit me isn't a relationship." Makoto said firmly, "These weeks have shown me how you really are, when you think no one else is noticing." At his raised brows she pressed on, "You're always on guard, you never _really_ let me in you just let me think that. It took me telling you secrets about myself that I told no one else to get even pieces about you."

"So what, because I'm slow to share you want nothing to do with me?" Menma demanded.

"No. I'd never cut you out of my life, you've been a precious friend these past years and I couldn't picture who I am now without you, but I can't keep just letting you play with me. I'm sorry Menma, really I am. But I just don't want to live a lie. Not anymore."

I can never love you.

I don't want to live a lie.

Lie…

Our Love was a lie.

I never loved you.

Menma's brain was betraying him something ferocious as he bit his tongue, "Fine… that's fine. I'm gonna… call an ambulance and… go for a walk, I'll talk to you guys later. She'll help you crack Kaneshiro… I'm no use to anyone right now." Menma pulled out his phone and left the bar.

"I'm sorry you all had to see that…" Makoto apologised.

 **That was the last I heard of the conversation, I was already wrapped up in my own little world, I don't think I've ever cried so much over something so… trivial.**

 _Love is never trivial._

 **... You're right. I just-I wish she'd spoken to me sooner, so I could fix it.**

 _I think the end result here is that, no matter your feelings relationships may just die, for one reason or another. I'm sure my sister cares about you, just not romantically. I'm of course not going anywhere near the sexual aspect of your relationship because franky it's none of my business._

 **I think I want to stop talking about this all now… Here's my phone. We've run out the clock.**

Menma looked up at Sae and nodded, she unlocked his phone and slipped it into her breast pocket, "Good luck." Menma wished, frowning despite himself.

"I'd say the same to you… for what it's worth, Menma. I think you're a good young man. You'll find the right girl." Sae said with a small smile.

"Thanks Sae." Menma said with a nod.

Things were quite awkward over at the Phantom Thieves hideaway so let's just leave that be for the moment.

Menma waited for a moment before he felt the familiar hum of transferring into the Metaverse, he summoned Setesh for a moment and ordered a Diarahan to be cast upon himself, since Setesh seemed to function in a slightly different manner than his fellow Persona it seemed to do the trick, at least for the moment.

Fishing his mask from seemingly nowhere Menma fastened it to his face, sitting back down and placing his head against the metal table he played possum, he heard faint voices for a moment before the guard re-opened the door.

"...You aren't supposed to be here." Akechi said sharply, quickly slipping his hand over to the Guard's belt, plundering his gun and shooting him in the back.

"It was supposed to be Joker… not you… why did you get caught? You were faster than him, stronger than him!" Akechi ordered, kicking a chair away and pressing his gun into Menma's head.

"Sit up, sit up and look at me!" Ordered the brown haired detective.

"Why?" Menma's voice filled the room, making Akechi pause, "So you can look me in the eye when you shoot me? Or so you can see your friend's face for the last time?" He remained motionless.

"Because I said so! I'm in control of the situation here! Not you, so get up Uzumaki! Get up and meet your end with something more than false gravitas." Ordered the detective with venom.

"You could have made a family, you know." Menma said idly, as though talking about the paint on the walls, "Me and you, we were great friends. I thought at least, brothers in arms for… what is it, coming on four years at this point? We've grown a lot Akechi, but you never seemed to get over your own demons."

"My mother committed suicide because my father was trash! Those aren't exactly things I can lock away!" Akechi spat with hatred.

"True." Menma admitted, "But at the same time, if you allow them to dominate your life it's all you'll ever have. They'll be no more room left for Goro Akechi. Only the man in the black mask." Menma lifted his head and revealed his own masked face to his would-be killer.

"Why do you have that mask…" Muttered Akechi before his brain caught back up, "What do you mean black mask-How do you know about that?!"

"Your other self, that dwells within the cognitive world. It's never approached you has it?"

" _ **No, it certainly hasn't**_." Negative Jack appeared from behind the sitting real version, arms crossed.

" _ **I'm far too afraid to do that… without the validation of others I have nothing.**_ " Another shadow appeared, this being Akechi, though several years younger, his eyes were a bright yellow and he wore tattered pyjamas.

Akechi recoiled as though struck, "What the hell is this..?"

"Your inner self, the manifestation of all the negative shit in your head." Menma explained as he rose from his seat, standing beside his own mirror, "The things we don't want anyone else seeing."

" _ **Existence is pain.**_ " Shakechi said with a whimper, " _ **Every day I have to look myself in the mirror and act as a tool for that man that ruined everything… I just want a place to call home I-**_ " Akechi shot the shadow in the head, making it disappear into vapors.

"That's not how it works, Akechi." Menma said simply, leaning against the wall beside his copy. "You accept it or you don't, but it'll always be there. It's apart of you."

"Shut up! I don't need this after school special bullshit! I control my life! No one else!" Akechi pointed his gun at Menma who remained unfaltering.

"Put the gun down, Akechi. We both know you wouldn't shoot your brother." Menma said with a narrow stare behind his mask, he noticed how Akechi tensed at that, "If you control your life, why are you here? Why, if not for the whims of Masayoshi Shido?"

"How do you _know_ all of this!" Akechi demanded once more, this time desperation began to spark in his eyes.

"My Shadow, spoke to your Shadow. And relayed the information to me, you're lonely Akechi. So lonely your Shadow told mine everything it wanted to hear just so it could have some company." Menma shook his head for a moment, "I'd pity you if you didn't put on such a strong front."

"I don't need your pity." Akechi hissed.

"You don't. You're strong enough without me, but you'll always have to go home to the same lonely apartment. I'll give you _one_ last chance Akechi, you and I work together to take down Shido, end this charade and puppet show. C'mon bud, this is a personal thing, don't let the country get involved." Menma pulled his mask off and looked at Akechi, his face forlorn.

"I-It's too late for shit like redemption." Akechi said, lifting his gun once more.

"Redemption is long past us. I was thinking more the along the line of repentance." Menma shrugged and put his mask back on, "Whatever, we do as we must. We guard dogs."

"Indeed… for what it's worth Menma, I valued our time together." Akechi said, swallowing his doubts, Menma nodded and gestured him on.

 _ **Bang!**_

A deafening shot rang out, Akechi's vision swam at the sudden noise only for him to suddenly feel weightless, a deep blackness overtaking him.

" _ **I-dddd r-r-rather ki-llll myself than ever h-hurt him**_." The Shadow appeared once more, this time as Akechi was gun in hand, his form slowly melting away into the darkness, " _ **Ppppplease rrrreee-mmmember me.**_ " He looked to Menma before succumbing to the death of his other half.

Shadow Jack slipped Menma's gun back into the holster on his leg, having prepared for the worst.

Sorrowful purple eyes stared down at the corpse of his dear friend, "Rest well Akechi. You were a piece of shit, but crazy is as crazy does, and I still loved you for you…" Menma took a moment to realise he never told Akechi he valued him so highly, that he genuinely did think of him as a brother.

A wave of guilt stung the teens heart but he closed his friends eyes, careful not to damage the skin with his clawed gloves, and kissed his forehead, "Rest well, little brother."

Menma walked out and brushed himself off, coughing into his fist to regain his composure.

Pulling out his phone he sent one more look to his Shadow before leaving the cognitive world and making his way to the elevator, just as a familiar face came down it.

Sae looked into the emotionless mask of Jack and felt a bubble of dread rise in her stomach, Menma pulled it off, along with his hood, and walked into the elevator with her. Ebony and Ivory melted away, along with his armour as he allowed the power to fully retreat.

He was still battered, but it was hidden away by his casual/fancy dress, the same dark red shirt, black pinstripe vest and trousers, along with simple black sneakers.

Menma felt all of his exhaustion hit him at once and steadied himself against the elevator, "Please take me home."

"Shouldn't you get back to your team?" Sae questioned, taking his arm into her own to steady him, the young man gathered himself and stood up straight, looking like he belonged wherever he damn well pleased.

"Fuck the team, I need to sleep off these drugs and get a check over. Home." The silver haired woman sighed, she almost argued with him that _she_ was the one taking the risk here, not him but at the moment she just wanted to get back and have a shower.

They strode out of the facility, only once were they questioned about Menma's presence, that was diffused by saying he was here with Sae to see how prosecutors performed their duty, as a personal favour to a benefactor.

The idea of money seemed to fix everything.

As they got to the parking lot Menma slid into the car put on his seatbelt, and then proceeded to have a complete and utter breakdown, "Oh sweet lord it's over…" He whispered, Sae started the car and left, she reached out to Menma and offered him her hand, he accepted it and held it to his head.

"Thank you." He kept muttering, Sae felt her heart lurch and just accepted his feeling for the moment.

 **21/11/20XX Morning**

Menma leant into the wall as hot water ran down his body, he held himself close. Trying to find comfort in the physicality of the action, his shoulders kept shaking, his heart kept pounding, no matter what happened he kept seeing himself trapped in that room whenever he closed his eyes.

He kept feeling the jab of the needles they stuck in him.

He kept feeling their shoes crushing his flesh.

He kept seeing Akechi's face as he collapsed against the ground.

It all started to get too much, he had to get out. He shut off the shower and quickly dried and clothed himself, looking out the window of his apartment he picked up his phone and called some of his handler.

" _Uzumaki-sama, how can I assist?_ " The female voice came from the other side of the phone, respectful and professional.

"I'd like to set up a meeting with my father, is that possible today?" Menma requested as he buttoned his white vest.

" _Of course sir, shall they pick you up at your apartment?_ " Questioned the woman, understanding in her voice.

"Yes please, thank you for your work." Menma said softly.

" _Not a problem sir, the meeting will be… at 3pm. We'll see you then sir_." The two shared a quick, cordial farewell before Menma pocketed his phone.

Heavy bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, he was clean but he felt dirty. His clothes were perfectly presented and he was dressed as a young man of his standing should be, it all just felt so… synthetic.

White shirt, white vest, white pants, white shoes, silver ring. White was clean, pure, unspoiled. If he wore enough it might help his current mental state.

He pulled up his sleeves and rolled them to his elbows, revealing the bruises on his person, he fixed his collar so that it hid the dark blotches on his collarbone. It seemed that even Setesh couldn't fix all of his troubles.

A knock at the door alerted him, Menma looked through the peephole and saw several familiar faces, he opened it a crack, the several chains locking it allowing it to go only so far.

From the perspective of the Phantom Thieves, their human shaped nuke was a scared young man now. "What?" He asked roughly.

"We came to check on you dude-" Ryuji said, shouldering himself forward, Akira nodding directly beside him, "-Can we come in?"

Menma slammed the door and seriously considered leaving them outside, his fingers started undoing the half-dozen latches he'd put in place the night before, he barely noticed how his hands were shaking, he opened the door and stepped away from it.

He was quickly pulled into an embrace from the black haired Kurusu and the blond Sakamoto, the younger boys unable to fully express their concern with words alone.

Menma's expression softened as he accepted the gesture, sinking into the embrace and allowing the presence of his two dear friends wash away the black images within his mind, then they pulled back, allowing the others their moment.

Ann almost leapt into his arms, the scent of her shampoo filling his nostrils, once more he leant into the embrace and smiled droplets of moisture wetting his white dress shirt.

"I was so worried." Ann said, Menma mouthed a thank you as Yusuke offered his hand.

The two exchanged a firm shake and Menma saw into Yusuke's eyes, "Thank you, Yusuke."

"I am… at a loss to express the disquiet within my heart." Admitted the artist.

"Words are nice, but you're a painter. I understand, nevertheless." Yusuke nodded and smiled.

Makoto actually _jumped_ into his arms and almost toppled him before he managed to right himself. "I'm sorry." Whispered the Niijima sister into his ear, "I know it's too late now, but I'm so sorry for how I treated you and what I said-And for everything that happened and-" Menma set her down and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Thank you, Makoto but I've… dealt with it. Life moves on, thank you though." He kissed her forehead and hugged her once more.

Haru was the final cuddle he got, there was a definitive warmth to Haru that other people seemed unable to match, it was either her sweet soul, her kind heart, or a combination of the two, regardless Haru did more with a single hug than any amount of sleep could do for him.

"Ahh, Haru. Sweetest little cupcake in the world." Menma said fondly, getting soft smile from the Okumura Heiress.

"Shall we?" Menma offered as he moved into the living room, sitting in the corner of the right angle shaped couch, Morgana trotting out of Akira's bag and sitting at his feet.

"So… Futaba still with Sojiro?" Menma questioned, noting the absence of the orange haired hacker.

"She's making great progress." Akira assured with a smile, "I took her to the electronics store a few days ago."

"Good for her." Menma said with a nod, wetting his lips for a moment he bowed his head, "Akechi is dead." The room went completely silent, "When he came to kill me… I worked with Sae to drag myself into the Metaverse, when Akechi came in he took the guard's gun and shot him."

"Jesus…" Ryuji muttered with wide eyes.

"My Shadow appeared, as he is want to do, but so did Akechi's." They all leant back at that revelation, "Yeah, he had a shadow. So, Akechi and I go back and forth, talkin' and he shoots his shadow when it says something he doesn't want to hear. Shame for him it doesn't work like that. Finally he turns to shoot met after we talk some more, his Shadow appears one more time and shoots him in the head. Before asking me to not forget him."

"But that doesn't make any sense, how can a Shadow kill its creator?" Morgana questioned aloud.

"Because unlike other people I can admit my flaws, and embrace them. I know my head's a little screwy, Akechi on the other hand was so hell-bent on making his false self appear real that he refused to even hear anything to the contrary."

"How sad." Haru said, though a dark acceptance flashed in her eyes, perhaps she felt his death justified given all the pain Akechi had caused.

"That being said our path doesn't stop here." Menma stood up and pulled out his phone, turning on his television at the same time, he cast the images from his phone onto his T.V and turned to his peers, "This man-" He pulled up an image of Shido, the bald man with typically orange tinted glasses in a black suit with a white dress shirt.

"Is running for prime minister. He's the one who was pulling Akechi's strings, he's also the poor bastards father, _and_ the reason his mother committed suicide, but beyond personal damage he's also responsible for each death Akechi performed. Since the prince isn't around to pay for his crimes, the King has to answer." Menma slipped his phone into his breast pocket and paced.

"My suggestion, the Phantom Thieves grasp the world by the horns and make it so that this monster _cannot_ get elected, and cannot ever harm another person in his life." Menma said, his dark purple eyes filled with a fierce fire.

"What do you propose?" Akira questioned, crossing one leg over the other. "A change of heart… or something more?"

"Akira surely-" Makoto scolded only to see the look in her ex's eyes, "Menma we don't kill people!" Snapped the Queen.

"No. We don't. But that doesn't mean I can't hurt this man in ways that no one else can. My plan is not to merely rip the rug out from under him, he has supporters, vocal and silent. Mementos is a prime place for us to purge the upper echelons of our society. To actually make a meaningful and permanent difference." Menma spoke, passion and fervor exploding from him.

"Every day, our peers and those younger than us, become part of a broken and corrupt system. I don't merely plan to change one heart, I'm going to change every that supports this vile fucking man!" A fire lit in Menma's belly, "All of us together can make it so that no one else suffers the same way that Goro Akechi suffered, that no one like Suguru Kamoshida can get into power, that no one like Ichiryusai Madarame can tamper with the lives of those around him, that no one like _Junya_ fucking _Kaneshiro_ can plague the streets of japan!"

There was a very real weight in the room as Menma spoke, everyone seemed to notice it for a moment, sparks and cinders actually rising from him, "It is our solemn duty as Phantom Thieves to rip out these tumours before everyone who suffers under the current regime! We were given power for a reason and it is to strike out against those who would do harm the harmless, to defend the defenceless, and for god's sake make a fucking difference!"

 _Thou hast found the key._

 _Through thine own fervorous determination for change, the true power of the Aeon is yours._

 _I am thou, thou art I…_

 _From the flames of the soul, a new shape is born, Seeker of Truth, elevate thine own mind and the mysteries shall press you ever forward._

 _Thine servant Cerberus returns to their slumber, from the ashes rises…_

 _ **Hades, Master of the Underworld**_

A towering pair of doors manifested behind the redhead, from out of the doors walked a figure clad in jagged black armour, his skin pale as ash, eyes burning like coals, hair so white it was almost translucent, the features of this being were almost elfin in nature, a sharp jawline and pointed ears, high set cheekbones and thin lips.

Hades was wrapped in a ragged black cape and held a jagged bident in his right hand, under his left was a helmet with curled horns and a macabre facsimile of a hounds face as the main feature of the helm.

Hades bowed for a moment before melting into Menma's back, a rush of power coursed through his veins, his bruises burning away and his muscles knitting back any damage they'd suffered, he let out a deep breath, expelling a heavy cloud of steam.

The Phantom Thieves looked at one another for a moment before Akira stood up and walked towards the redhead, "You realise this is a huge undertaking right? We may have a lot of sleepless nights."

"I'm not saying we burn through this all like a tidal wave, but Mementos is the perfect vetting tool for politicians and those in high states of power, if we start with Shido and his group it sets a precedent that, whilst our actions are somewhat chaotic, we're on the side of righteousness." Menma crossed his arms and peered down at his friend, as though awaiting rejection of the idea.

"Well I think it's a good idea." Akira said, "Though we have to be constantly vigilant, we only do this for the betterment of others, whilst we may gain as a placebo we as a unit agree, no exploiting the Metaverse, no controlling people, no going over the top, and of course, no killing. So long as we can all agree with that, pulling the darkness out of people isn't anything new. We just have higher goals now."

"I don't need convincin', Phantom Thieves take bad guys hearts, all the same to me." Ryuji said as he stood as well, grinning.

"This is the way to prove ourselves not only to the public, but the world at large. We Phantom Thieves shall show all our Justice." Yusuke stood next, smirking in that self-assured way he was want to do.

"I'll stand with you, if only to make sure you don't deviate." Makoto said with a smirk of her own, though this one held a distinct fondness to it.

"Of course, Phantoms flock together!" Ann said, grinning.

"I was worried we'd finished our work, I'm glad we can keep going." Haru said, a relieved sigh passing her lips.

"Hehe, glad to know that our star continues to rise, even after meeting resistance." Morgana grinned impishly and nodded.

" _Good to hear!_ " Futaba's voice rang out from their phones, each of them pulled them out, " _Already got some info on Shido, sketchy dude. And some of his backers. Give me some more time and we'll really get into cleaning house._ "

"Did you seriously listen into the entire conversation?" Ryuji asked flatly.

" _Of course I did!_ " Shot back the orange haired girl, " _How else am I gonna be involved?_ "

"By actually coming with us." Yusuke said simply.

" _Be silent Inari! Futaba is speaking!_ " Demanded the Hacker.

"How rude…" Muttered the artist with a drawl.

 **20/11/20XX Afternoon**

Menma stood with his hands in his pockets as he looked out of a window, down at the bustling city beneath the high-rise office, the Apex office was a well oiled machine that demanded each hour spent in the office was productive. It worked on the western idea of 9-5 in place of the traditional Eastern approach that the longer you spent in the office the more productive you would be.

In practice there could not be anything further from the truth. Middle men that meandered around offices, executives that worked into the wee hours of the morning at abysmally slow paces.

The stricter office hours made it so that every person who worked under the company was expected to perform optimally, efficiently and thoroughly. Anyone who couldn't cope was fired.

By the same token it meant that those working in Apex actually had lives, they could mix social and work together, and they weren't required to drop everything to go drinking with their bosses in some vain hope to foster relations.

Menma's honed ears caught the sound of the door opening to the office, a glass wall separated the occupants within from those without, another method to control the productivity of those inside the company.

Minato Uzumaki strode into the room, dressed in a black suit with a dark blue dress shirt and black tie, a single yellow lightning bolt pin on his collar, something stupid Menma had made for his father in his youth that had somehow made it all these years.

His shaggy golden hair and bright blue eyes made him seem european in appearance, that gave him both advantages and grievances over his years in business.

"Menma." Minato greeted with a smile as he closed the door behind him, the duo shared an embrace before taking seats, "What can I do for my favourite son today?"

"I'm your only son." Menma countered with a raised brow.

"Just means I like you so much I didn't want another." Minato said with a chuckle, Menma rolled his eyes but grinned.

"Well I've got a few things to tell you, first though how secure is this office?" Minato raised his brow, "Does it have bugs?"

"No, no listening devices. My laptop is off… here I'll even turn my phone off. What's this about?" Minato had a look of concern on his face.

"I'm a Phantom Thief." Menma said bluntly, "The social crusaders that you see in the news."

"A Phantom… Thief. Right, and how exactly did you come upon… that?" Minato questioned, struggling to voice it properly.

"The catalyst was when Suguru Kamoshida raped one of my student peers, she attempted suicide but I stopped her. From there I and a few other students teamed up to form the initial Phantom Thieves. Since then it has grown. I just wanted to tell you, as I've been hiding it from your for several months now." Menma said, his calm, level tone surprising Minato.

"This seems pretty rehearsed, have you told anyone else about this?" The Father questioned, leaning back into his chair.

"No, I just repeated it over and over in my head on the way over here." Minato made an 'ah' noise as a short pause fell over them.

"So… what exactly does a Phantom Thief do? How does one change a heart?" The man questioned.

"Long version or short version?" Menma asked, tilting his head slightly, Minato glanced at his watch.

"I've got two hours until closing time, and a meeting at 4. So if it takes an hour to tell me that we can talk during dinner tonight." Minato said simply.

"Essentially, we can only take the hearts of those people that have been twisted by their base desires…" Menma went onto explain the process he and his team went through in order to do what they do best.

It took roughly ten or so minutes, as the question was relatively basic, but Menma did cover the concept of Persona, Cognition, and the Metaverse with a reasonable amount of detail.

"..." Minato was quiet for a moment as he considered what his child had told him, "So. What is the plan, for the future of the Phantom Thieves?"

"I'm going to stop the mental shutdowns, once and for all. And that starts with the man behind them, Masayoshi Shido. Then I'm going to go into Mementos, the 'Palace of the People' as it were, and see if any of his constituents are in there."

"You're planning a mass social reform." Minato guessed with a knowing look, "That's quite the undertaking."

"I am aware." Menma said, knitting his fingers together, the strength of Hades soothing his nerves, "I've had a rollercoaster of a few days Dad, but I believe this is the best for everyone."

"Where does that leave your future? If you're running around performing noble deeds, where's the time for Menma?" Minato asked, his tone becoming quite serious.

"I won't neglect the outside world just because of the Metaverse, but this is something I have to do. Or the situation will just get worse." Menma thought of all the people within the company that he'd altered through Mementos, a secret that only Sae Niijima knew. Thankfully it had only been a handful of bad eggs.

"Well… I can't say I fully support it, but I'll not stand in your way. And I appreciate what it took to tell me this, I'd like the full story over dinner though, if you don't mind." Minato requested, Menma nodded.

"Looking forward to it." Menma pressed the intercom connected to his office.

"Kiryo, can you please send up a few people to take my son home, thank you." Minato removed his finger and turned his phone back on, "I'm feeling sushi tonight, you?"

"Honestly anything is good. I'll see you at home." The two shared a nod as a duo of burly men came and escorted the company heir home,.

"I'm going to have to watch my boy closer, god only knows what trouble he'll get himself into." Minato muttered, rubbing his forehead.

 **[End]**

 **If you liked it, lemme know. If you didn't also lemme know. I'm pumping these out pretty fast but that's because I'm having a lot of fun.**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Key:**

 **Menma Narrating**

 _Guest Narrating_

" _ **Shadows/Persona Talking.**_ "

"Humans Talkings."

' _Humans thinking._ '

" _Telepathy/Radios_."

 **22/11/20XX**

 **We started small, finding details on Shido that could help us figure him out as a person. One thing we all noticed is how he would often say that he would 'Steer this country' That was put down in our notes, and we put a tally each time he would say it in his speeches, it got pretty high.**

"This dude is obsessed with boats." Ryuji muttered as he pulled off his headphones and yawned, pushing the laptop away from him, they were all in the Uzumaki apartment, as it was being used as the Hideout for the moment.

"Seriously…" Akira said, rubbing his eyes and stretching out. He pulled the note pad on the table towards him and scribbling 'boat' in the keywords section, and adding another tally to a phrase.

"Can we _please_ take a break?" Ryuji pleaded, a pathetic look in his eyes getting a laugh from Akira, the Joker nodded to the Skull, " _Thank you!_ "

"If you two are going on break can you grab me something?" Menma questioned as he spun his chair away from the table he sat at, Akira nodded easily and the redhead smiled, his long hair tied away into a ponytail that sat on his right shoulder, across his chest.

He pulled out his wallet and grabbed a handful of bills, "I've got a craving for the colonel's chicken." Ryuji whiped a line of drool from his mouth, Menma smiled and pulled out another line of bills, "Grab everyone something, here's mine." He handed a note to the black haired boy.

"Oh are the servants running errands?" Ann goaded with a cheeky grin, "None for me thanks, I already had my cheat day this week."

"Pfft, call me whatever I get to stretch my legs and take my mind off crazy bald dudes for five minutes." Ryuji shot back, Ann groaned and lamented pitifully.

"He's got you there." Akira agreed with a chuckle, "Anything for you?" The Joker looked down the table the redhead sat at, Yusuke nodded, having forgot to eat breakfast apparently, Makoto looked to Menma, seeing his smile she accepted, and Haru guiltily told the duo her order.

"Oh heavens, the Maiden Okumura purchases from the competition." Menma gasped dramatically, getting chuckles, Haru's face flushed red as she buried her face into her sweater, "No need to hide away in your cleavage Haru, this is a judgment free zone."

"You're incorrigible!" Haru faux-shouted, covering her blushing face with her hands.

"I really am." Menma admitted with a chuckle, "I tell you what though, if I ever get so bad it's too much to bear, I'll be your boy-toy for a day."

"How bold." Yusuke said idly, looking at the redhead for a moment, "Perhaps I _should_ paint you, the 'Silver Tongued Rogue'."

"I prefer pink." Menma stuck his tongue out and waggled his eyebrows, it seemed to fly over Yusuke's head.

Makoto sighed into her hands, face red, unknowingly drawing more attention to herself, "Hehe, who knew, prez?" Ryuji goaded.

"How vulgar…" Haru mumbled, though there was a distinctive meaning in her eyes as she looked at the redhead, making him blinking owlishly and pull his tongue back into his mouth.

" _Not fair!_ " Futaba's voice broke the group from their conversation, " _I hunger!_ " Her face displayed on a tablet through a Skype call.

"Well if someone just came over instead of suffering from agoraphobia you'd get chicken too." Menma said with sarcasm.

" _Ughh!_ "

"Right, we'll be back soon!" Ryuji said, moving to the door.

" _Don't get distracted making out you two!_ " Futaba called out, making both of them turn, red faced and angry.

"We aren't gay!" Shouted both males.

" _That's not what my fanfiction says._ " Her impish laughter made both boys turn blue in the face,.

"Hang up the call." Ryuji demanded.

"We must destroy anything linked to us." Akira said, adjusting his glasses in a way that only he could make menacing.

"Alright boys, go get the chicken, try to avoid smooching on the way." Menma said, waving the duo off, Ryuji squawked for a moment and turned on the redhead only for Akira to grab his shoulder.

"Let's just go honey." Ryuji nodded before running away from Akira as he grinned widely, "Stop running from our love, Ryuji-kun!"

The room burst into laughter as the door swung shut, several of the Phantoms doubling over.

"Nice to hear you're all enjoying yourselves." A new voice entered the fray, from the other side of the door, it opened to reveal Sae who entered the room and kicked her shoes off, she strode over to the tall redhead and placed a hand on his head, "How are you feeling?"

Menma released a few more chuckles before smiling, "Better actually. Putting my focus onto something else has made it easier to deal with… all of it."

"Good, how're things going with your search?" Questioned the prosecutor, the others at the table noted how she didn't remove her hand, the foursome passed confused looked between one another, Morgana tilted his head.

"From everything we've gathered over today I'd say tomorrow we can try and bust into his Palace, I've already checked the Nav he's on it." Informed the Uzumaki getting a nod from the older Niijima, "How are you?"

"Tired." Admitted the Prosecutor, "Work is a mess right now, no thanks to you I'm sure." Her words came without rancour, but accompanied by a smirk.

Menma huffed, "Crazy is as crazy does." He surmised with a shrug.

"Since when were you two so chummy?" Makoto questioned with a raised brow, drawing their attention to the younger sister.

Menma could have sworn he saw gold flash in those eyes for a moment, and then he realised this was a woman with a palace, part of him wanted to free her of that burden but at the same time it made her who she was, he felt like a hypocrite… but Sae does not harm others, she seems more self-destructive if anything actually.

So… there was no need to change her to begin with, because Sae is well adjusted to remove the need… that set a precedent.

"We can't wantonly change people… like I was saying. We need to be thorough with out searches, confirm guilt before acting…" Menma said suddenly, rubbing his forehead.

"Yeah…?" Ann leant up from the couch and looked at him strangely, "Isn't that exactly what we're doing right now?"

"Just because someone is in Mementos doesn't make them evil, consider Mishima." Yusuke said, he too looking at Menma oddly.

"Why do you bring it up?" Haru asked, titling her head.

"No… no reason just thinking out loud." Menma said, shaking his head, part of him missing the warmth of Sae's hand, it still felt like a lifeline to him, even though he knew he should swallow it and move on.

"As to answer your question Makoto, we've never not been close." Sae said, looking at her sister strangely, "I do have friends."

"I just thought that the way you immediately went to check on him was… motherly." Makoto noted with a slight twist in her expression.

Sae blinked, thinking it over for a moment, Menma answered, "I was… not exactly in a good place after the interrogation… even before Sae came in to speak with me. She was my lifeline in there, and on the way home."

The admittance made a flash of guilt burn in Makoto's chest, "I never did finish my story did I?" Menma suddenly questioned, making Sae blink.

"No. You didn't." She said with a smirk, "Got more juicy details for a case report?"

"Of the record of course, madame prosecutor." The redhead said with a grin.

"Let's see… we left off with… Kaneshiro right? Just after I had my episode and scared the shit out of him?"

"That's right." The Phantoms either returned to work or listened in, but all of them noticed the sombre expression on their Queen's face.

"I was in a pretty bad headspace a **t the time so I did my own form of investigating of the Metaverse.**

 **The first thing I saw when I entered Kaneshiro's cognition was that he basically saw all of Shibuya as walking ATM's for him to drain dry, those that couldn't keep up with his payments were basically ruined pieces of scrap for the pile.**

 **Getting inside wasn't as hard as I initially thought, one of my Persona, Swift is able to fly in a limited capacity, so we scaled a building and took off towards the floating vacuum, it actually took a few jumps before we made it.**

Jack rolled into his landing, breathing heavily as his heart pounded in his ears, he pulled his mask off and laid out on the ground, letting himself rest to catch his breath, a single blue butterfly, seemingly made of light appeared and sat on his nose.

A chill raced down his spine, for a moment he thought he would be assaulted with another trip into the void, this however was… quite a bit more pleasant.

" _Salutations, Agent of Philemon._ " Greeted the whispery voice, though this one distinctly male. " _I see you have forgone your typical group in favour of venturing alone, may I inquire why?_ "

"I need some time to clear my head, and nothing helps me more than concentrating on a task… Also I can't really face Makoto at the moment." Menma made the assumption that this creature knew who his friends were if it was able to actively notice their absence.

" _Mmm, while it is true your outburst scared the Priestess, that is no reason to isolate oneself is it?_ " Questioned the butterfly, fluttering slightly as it did so.

"No, it's not but I need a cool off period. Being broken up with hurts and the last thing I want to do is say something, or do something to hurt those I care about because I'm in pain." Menma said, wanting to look away, shame colouring his expression.

" _Quite noble, but also quite selfish. Your desires for friendship and understanding are thwarted by your attitude towards your peers, if you cannot trust them to assist you in times of grief, what do you truly have?_ " Butterfly questioned.

"I uh…" Menma didn't really have an answer to that.

" _Simply put, if you lack faith in your bonds, they will deteriorate. And with it any power you draw from them, if you continue on this selfish path you may find that your powers weaken substantially._ " Menma blinked, _that_ he didn't expect.

" _If you truly wish to take time to yourself, that is no problem. Many people feel it is required to 'recharge' after time in social settings, but this is no such situation. If you put faith in those you love with all of your heart, then your healing process shall be exponentially quicker._ " Butterfly informed, a smile audible in the echoing voice.

"That's um… really good advice actually, thanks. Can I uh… do anything for you? Ya'know in return for you basically giving me a counselling session?" Menma questioned with a chuckle.

" _Oh heavens! Such kindness, I did not expect._ " It stated, that audible smile was now an audible grin. " _There is something you could do for me, in fact. I would be remiss if I did not take you up on your offer. You see, my name is Igor. I am one of Lord Philemon's assistance, but my typical place of residence has been taken over by a force of malevolence. If you could find it within you to grant me asylum until my home is relieved of this villainy, i would be most grateful_."

"Oh! Yeah, sure Igor. I don't mind… ugh, how do I do that? I'm sorry by now I should really be better at this kind of stuff but I'm still learning." Menma apologised as he sat up and held the butterfly in one hand.

" _Oh no, fret not new friend._ " Assured Igor, " _I think for one without formal training, you're on your way to being an excellent guardian of my kind, I will dwell within you, as your spirits are wont to do, do you have a specific shape you would like me to conjure?_ " Questioned the ever helpful butterfly.

"I've got Setesh, Swift and Cerberus… I don't exactly have a dedicated magic attacker." Setesh was support based, buffs, debuffs, that sort of thing. Swift was Nuke and Gun damage based, and Cerberus was Fire, Curse and Physical.

" _Any favoured Arcana? Oh this is ever so fun, it has been years since I got to do this!_ " Igor actually sounded somewhat giddy, Menma felt his face flush with warmth and a smile spread across his previously dreary face.

"Uhh… Emperor? That's one right? Yeah!" Menma looked up to the right for a moment as though trying to imagine the tarot.

" _A sound choice, should you require him, simply call for Ba'al Hadad, or simply Baal as he's currently addressed in the Sea of Souls._ " Menma blinked as before him appeared a man perhaps only a few years his senior.

Standing roughly 5' 7" foot with a bronze fish shaped headdress, a pair of horns rising from the front and long fins spread down to his lower back, he had short white hair and bright golden eyes.

He was dressed in an incredibly tight dark grey shirt that exposed his midriff, dude had a nice body all things considered. Over that was a X shaped harness of feathers that were all either made of the same brass, or dyed in some way.

His skin was dark brown and absolutely spotless and looked incredibly soft to the touch, held in his left hand was a bronze chalice dotted with emeralds and rubies. On each of his wrists were armguards with the same fin protrusions, though much smaller.

Covering his lower half was a long green skirt with a drape down the front starting from a bronze sash around his waist, it left his legs fully mobile, thankfully they were covered by yet more tight clothing, this being skin tight sand coloured leggings, the strangest thing was the noticeable curve of Baals hips, almost womanly in their appearance.

His feet were bare and instead he was anklets with fins.

 _You're describing him in such detail I could paint him - Yusuke._

 **I may have a slight man crush on Ba'al Hadad. Dudes good looking.**

" _For informations sake, Baal is a Semitic title that means Lord of Master, while it can refer to many deities this Baal is Ba'al Hadad, the Canaan God of Rain, Agriculture, Fertility and Thunder. His attributes as a Perona however are High Damaging, Multitarget Wind attacks, though he is also capable of learning multiple skills from other Persona, such as your Satesh's Concentrate._ " Igor informed, quite giddy to share in first hand Personae information once more.

Menma let out a low whistle, he extended his hand and Baal did the same, "You've got really soft hands." He noted without thinking, the deity actually pulled back and examined his hands for a moment - his cup just floating beside him - and shrugged, smiling at his new master Baal merely shrugged wordlessly.

" _Marvelous to see you getting along so well._ " Igor gushed, how much did this guy get out?

"Hey just a quick question, if you leave… does Baal leave to?" Menma looked down at the Butterfly sitting on his shoulder, it's wings twitching slightly.

" _If he wishes to remain with you I see no reason to force him to return to the Sea of Souls, the Trickster may have a duplicate but this Baal, Ba'al Hadad, may very well remain yours alone._ "

" _ **I'd like that, Master.**_ " Baal said with a grin, sipping his cup… somehow in a very suggestive manner. " _ **From what I can glean within your soul we may have similar interests.**_ "

 _Is this your way of coming out?!_ _\- Ann_

 _I wouldn't be surprised, given the look on his face. - Yusuke._

 **No. Not exactly… it'll make sense later. We're getting sidetracked.**

 _Anyone want to hear about how if you google the name Setesh, on his wikipedia page it says here he's a flaming bumbtumbler? - Futaba_

 **Oh my god fine, I wanted to fuck Baal shoot me!**

 _Zero judgement zone - Haru_

 **I will bend you over my knee and make that ass raw missy.**

 _I'll be good! - Haru_

 **Aww~...**

"Uhh… maybe?" Menma said with a chuckle, feeling slightly hot under the collar. "I look forward to working with you, nevertheless." Baal nodded and suffused with Menma's soul, he felt a noticeable tingle this time and actually had to steady himself, before giving up and sitting back down.

" _Ahh, it would seem Hadad had to make some space in your soul. Fret not, new friend. It shall pass. You do not posses the Wild Card so having multiple Personae may feel somewhat taxing, think of it like a muscle you must develop, your soul will eventually grow and expand to accommodate more, stronger Persona ironically_ because _you're collecting more._ " Igor assured, a smile once more in his voice.

"Igor I gotta ask, how exactly did you show up here? Were you just fluttering around the Metaverse trying to find someplace to crash?" Questioned the confused Uzumaki, his gut feeling unsettled.

" _Somewhat, yes. Though I_ have _been watching over you, on behalf of Lord Philemon in fact. My original function is actually being performed_ by _my… usurper, shall we say. So at the moment I'm quite free to do as I please, and I wished to assist you, you seem like a good young human, though slightly rough around the edges. Pardon my presumption but it seems that you need a guiding voice, someone to… check in with, to make sure you stay the course in your heart._ " Menma felt his eyes heat up, the telltale sign of tears.

That confused him.

" _ **No one's ever been so genuinely interested in helping me like this…**_ " HIs shadow's voice called, from within the depths of his mind.

"Thank you… Igor. Really, that uh - sniff - actually means a lot, ya'know?" He chuckled as the sensation of crying washed over him for nary but a moment, still his body shot out a dose of endorphins to give him that 'post-cry-high'.

" _Of course, I myself am an Agent of Philemon. I would be remiss to not assist one of my new dear friends._ " Menma actually felt a few hot tears drip down his face, " _Oh dear, I did not mean to cause distress._ "

"No I - ugh - don't actually know why I'm crying right now… I think I - sniff - just might need to, it probably sounds dumb but… better out than in, yeah?" He leant against the metal fence of Kaneshiro's distorted palace and allowed himself to happy-cry for a few minutes.

" _Truly humans are incredible creatures. I look forward to this as not only a learning experience, but a chance for us, as fellow agents and new friends, to bond._ " Igor spoke earnestly, making the happy-tears flow even stronger.

" _Goddamnit!_ Why are you being so nice to me! It's - haha! - so fucking invigorating and upsetting at the same time! This is so new - sniff - I've never actually cried tears of joy before!" He laughed loudly and pulled his hood down, weeping and laughing, it didn't make sense.

 _I am thou, and thou art I_

 _Through the winds of fate I come, bidden unto thee by destiny._

 _I am the_ _ **Fool**_ _trusted ally and life-long companion, guard me well._

A surge of power shot directly into Menma's chest, it was like someone hooked up a jumper cable to his heart and hit him with a few thousand volts. He clenched his teeth as he smiled, allowing himself another few moments to bask in it all.

"Igor… I may not be able to let you go, ya'know… you've given me not only a lot to think about, but an entire new life experience within… what 10 minutes? You're amazing." Menma praised, and truly he meant it, from the bottom of his heart this strange butterfly had touched his very soul in a way it had never been touched before.

" _I truly do believe this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. And fret not, I shall never truly leave you, for the_ _ **Fool**_ _is the most stalwart of companions._ " His voice carried a grin, that spurred Menma to action.

"The Aeon and the Fool, well alright Igor!" Menma shot up, ignoring the redness of his face and his cheeks, "Shall we scout out this palace, for our friends!?"

" _Indeed we shall, onward to adventure!_ " Igor fluttered into his heart and seemingly rippled through his armour, pulling up his hood and slipping on his mask, Jack ran into the Palace, towards great adventure.

 **I don't know how, but Igor pulled me from my pit and set me on my path in just a few minutes. I'm lucky to have him**.

 _He still dwells within you? - Yusuke_

 _Ann-chan, are you crying? - Haru_

 _I'm not crying your crying, shuddup! - Ann_

 **He's been dormant ever since I got caught in Sae's palace, I basically told him to hide away in my mind, or heart. Wherever he is, Igor'll come back out when he's ready. Dude's probably sleeping actually.**

 _Do spirits sleep? - Makoto_

 **Hell if I know, but I think that's the only reason he hasn't popped out to give me another pep-talk… actually maybe that's why?**

 _I would have assumed you'd need a pep talk - Sae_

 **I'm… relying on my friends,** to help me." Menma said bashfully, looking down with a faint red to his cheeks.

Haru bounced out of her chair and basically skipped over to him, she pulled him into a hug, which was more along the lines of her breasts, and kissed his cheek, "Mmmmwah! There, you always told me you understand physical displays more than anything else, that's my way of saying I'll look after you."

Haru's face was basically a cherry, she didn't expect herself to be so bold, her heart was beating like a jackhammer, Ann sniffled but also gave an 'oooh'.

Menma looked speechless, his own face colouring further, "I-If I knew sharing with people would get me kisses that make my whole flippin' body tingle I'd have shared all the time!"

Ann laughed so hard she snorted, Yusuke shook his head with a fond smile, even Makoto had to allow herself a small grin.

What none of them expected was for Sae to do the same thing, though instead of the innocent-possible romantic affection of Haru's kiss, this one was soft, sensuous and made his spine turn to jelly, she whispered in his ear.

" _Sharing_ is _caring, I can show you how much I care._ " He _swore_ there was a little tongue-flick on his lobe but he dare not mention it.

' _WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PALACE STAYS IN THE PALACE!_ ' Menma screamed in his head, he was met with several guffaws from the residents of his soul.

" _Duuuuuuuuude~_ What the hell did we miss!?" Ryuji asked, both Akira and himself carrying armfuls of brown bags with _KFC_ emblazoned on the sides, and plastic bags with several soft-drinks.

"OH NO WHAT A SHAME FOODS HERE!" Menma stood up woodenly and walked away from the table, "EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT!"

"Why is he screaming?" Akira questioned, his glasses had fallen down somewhat so his steely grey eyes peered at the retreating figure of his friend unimpaired.

"Menma was sharing with us the story of our Phantom Thief adventures from his perspective, he was informing us about an entity called 'Igor' that gave him his first experience of crying with genuine joy, Haru proceeded to give him quite the kiss on the cheek as… reward for sharing, Sae-san seemed to match her with… undertones." Yusuke explained, Sae chuckled whilst Haru felt a slight fire in her belly.

' _Oh, we playing this game now?_ ' Thought the world's sweetest little cinnamon bun.

' _Bring it on, little girl._ ' Sae thought at the same moment, it was good to know she still had that effect on the red headed boy even after two years of him staring at her ass, and unabashedly lusting after her, that when he got even a taste of interest back he melted like butter.

"Dude." Was all Ryuji could say, "I'm jealous."

"I must admit, I am too. Come Ryuji, help me feel better." Akira said, putting his bags onto the table and grinning at the blond.

"Knock it off already!" The flushed thug shouted in return, Ann fell off the couch she was laughing so hard.

 **22/11/20XX - Afternoon**

Menma returned from screaming like a giddy schoolgirl into his pillow to a _very_ amused group of friends, "I was gone like five minutes, get off my case."

"I thought that as your, 'Prosecutor Mommy' I was supposed to be on your case?" Sae asked innocently, Menma almost swallowed his tongue at that comment coming back to bite him in the ass.

"..." Menma looked at everyone in the room before his face flushed once more, he steeled his will and sat down to retrieve his order, "There's a dark, _dark_ part of me that's so fucking into that right now, and I don't know how I feel about it, so I'm just going to enjoy my artery clogging chicken and think about it later."

"You mean after we're all gone, and you're alone in your room?" Ryuji asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"Probably then, yes." Menma admitted, face stoic and posture impeccable. Completely mismatching the words coming out of his facehole.

"Menma, next time I am putting a piece together pertaining to lust. I believe I will seek your input." Yusuke informed as he dipped his tenders into sweet-and-sour sauce.

" _Or you could develop a sex-drive, Inari._ " Futaba mocked, mouth full of curry.

"I'll have you know I am currently courting a girl at school." Yusuke shot back, waving his hands at the tablet.

The table collectively leant in, minus Sae who was picking at Menma's chips, "Diiiish!" Demanded the redhead, "Does she make your heart pound like a drum? Are you lost for words when you see her? I-I-Is it like every moment away from her is suffocation, and your poor heart just can't take the agony of her absence?!"

"You are very strange." Yusuke noted, "Especially when it comes to love in _any_ form."

"I… no that's fair." Menma sulked and leant back into his chair, Sae boldly stealing a bite from his Zinger Stacker, on instinct he whiped a blotch of sauce off her lips and ate it, his face going red immediately upon realising it.

Thankfully everyone else was engrossed in Yusuke's love life that only the woman herself noticed, as he turned to her she looked at him and gestured him forward with her find, she leant in as well, " _If you wanted to kiss me, you just had to say so._ "

Menma felt blood rain from his face and go towards his lower half in half a heartbeat, " _What are you doing to me?_ " He demanded softly.

" _Exactly what you want._ " Sae shot back, " _We'll talk later._ " She turned his head with her finger so he gave his attention back to his friend.

"Dude just give us a name already, we get it she's pretty, and you have enough _in_ common to make ground, but not enough to get bored!" Ryuji demanded.

"Hifumi Togo." Yusuke said, with an air of finality, "I find her to be a gem, and she finds me worthy of her affections." He had that same smug smirk on his face and closed his eyes, though no actual smugness came through.

"The Shoji player?" Ann questioned, interested, "I've seen her in a few magazines."

"Yes, though she's trying to move away from the spotlight."

"I've met her, nice girl. Taught me a lot about tactics." Akira put in with a smile, Yusuke raised a brow, "I heard about her through the grapevine, her skills are what make me an more effective leader."

"I'll have to thank her, I recall you saving my life numerous times through cunning." Yusuke said with a fond smile.

Akira waved him off bashfully, grinning all the while.

" _Oooh, she's pretty nice choice Inari!_ " Futaba's voice chimed in, apparently she'd looked up the person of interest on the good ol' internets.

"She is more than her looks, Futaba." Scolded the Fox with a frown.

" _Prude._ " Muttered the ginger.

"So anyone else got any juicy romance tales?" Menma questioned, around his food.

"I formally broke things off with Sugimura-san." Haru informed, "Hopefully now I won't be hounded by him."

"Formally?" Questioned Ryuji, "I figured after that guy got a boot to the face he'd have gotten the message."

"Most would yes, but Sugimura-san is very… dedicated to his goals." Haru said, though the comment was less a compliment and more a condemnation. "Now that there's no documents to back up his claim, hopefully he'll leave me be to pursue my own goals." Her smile was tainted with worry.

"Let us know if he bothers you, we'll… give him a stern talking to." Akira assured with a smirk, his fellow bros matching the expression.

"What about you, Akria-kun?" Everyone turned to the slightly pink Joker, who suddenly felt the need to stare at the table in intense detail.

"Ooooh~ what devilish woman caught the eye of our leader?' Ann asked, grinning like the Panther she was.

"Her names Tae Takemi. She's a doctor in the clinic near LeBlanc we've uh… bonded." Akira admitted sheepishly.

"Cuuute~" Menma said, squishing his cheeks with his hands, "Oh look at you, you adorable little baboo you."

"You're so strange."

 **22/11/20XX - Evening**

All of his friends bar two had left for the evening, Sae and Makoto. His father had come home and greeted him, the two had a quick discussion before Minato made some food and went to bed early, having had a draining day at work.

"So, care to share anymore?" Sae asked, having claimed a seat on his couch. Makoto smoothed out her skirt and looked to him as well.

"I'd also like to hear things from your perspective." Menma had to question _why_ she'd want to hear about how he agonized over her but put it to the back of his mind.

"Right so… the **Palace itself wasn't exactly interesting, sure it was one giant bank but in the end they all crack open. The interesting thing was Kaneshiro's Shadow.**

 **Funnily enough after we'd send in the calling card he'd changed his cognition in a way that put a safe in front of his treasure. I guess I really did put the fear of god into him.**

 **He also brought the same group of people I savaged with him, or at least cognitions of them, though they fled the second I pulled my mask off and Kaneshiro went bug-man.**

"You wanna play? I'll bust yo' head in, man!": Swore the bugman, looking much like normal Shadow Kaneshiro, fat, suit, purple skin, quaffed hair, though now with big red compound eyes and two flimsy looking wings popping out of his back.

Jack fit his mask back into place and grinned beneath it, "Oh but you are a pathetic little man."

"Focus, Jack. We're not here to intimidate, we're here to change his heart." Queen said, looking like a sexy cross between a wasteland raider and a biker, skintight suit, spiked shoulderpads, an iron mask, and white gloves. Her Persona was Johanna, the mythical female pope. In the form of the coolest motorcycle in Japan.

"Mhm." Jack said, his grin falling into a flat line, Mona smacking Joker on the thigh and saying.

"Get him Joker, let's show this money grubber who's boss!" Joker looked slightly put out for a moment before summoning High Pixie and using an ability to reduce Junya's defensive capabilities.

"I'm in!" Skull said, a shark-like grin on his face, "Per-sona!" A powerful Zio fell from a conjured cloud directly into Kaneshiro, making him cry out in pain. "Tag in!"

Fox leapt forward, Goemon appearing to mirror his movement, the katana wielding artist performing a Rising Slash, a large spray of shadowy blood pouring from Kaneshiro, the shadow stumbled back gasping for air as the twisted desires within him clotted the blood and made the wound appear superficial.

"Panther!" Fox called, the red latex wearing blonde summoned Carmen and released a powerful Agidyne via her femme fatale Persona.

Kaneshiro though, appeared unharmed, " _ **Hahaha! You little bastards are just gonna keep on goin' aren'tcha? Well guess what I ain't gonna forgive you for all this!**_ "

"You've got a lot of balls for a guy who's outgunned and looks like he crawls on shit." Ann said with a vicious snap of her whip.

" _ **Nyahaha! Oh I like you! You I'll keep, that biker girl'd probably tear someone's dick off with her shitty attitude, but you! I could make a fortune outta you!**_ " Kaneshiro said, laughing, and grinning in a way that filled Ann's stomach with disgust.

"Keep talkin' pal, just makes us wanna crush you all the more!" Skull snapped, slamming his sledgehammer on the ground.

" _ **Ahh but I was having fun, all good things must come to an end though. So here it is, the big guns, my guardian robot!**_ " Kaneshiro turned and waved at the safe, it quickly fell away but revealed a large spherical mass behind it.

"A… pig?" Mona questioned, disappointed.

Kaneshiro's voice blared out from speakers within the mechanical pig, " _ **This aint' a pig yo! This is my Palace's guardian defence mechanoid, Piggytron! Goin' against me was a bad idea, now you're all gonna die, hahahahah!**_ "

Jack frowned beneath his mask, but grinned shortly afterwards, "All I'm hearing is that we don't have to hold back to avoid killin' ya!" Jack cracked his knuckles and ripped off his mask, throwing it skyward he revealed his yellow eyes to the droid.

Kaneshiro's voice gave a visible strangulation as he spoke, " _ **Y-You little shit, you think I'm scared ah you!?**_

"You should be Junya…" Jack spoke, a grim promise in his voice, "Shall we ladies and gents?"

"Hell yeah!" Kidd formed behind Skull, the captain and the thug shared a menacing grin.

"He's gonna get it." Panther said, Carmen appearing, both had crossed arms.

"People really should stop underestimating us, it's sad really." Fox spoke, Goeman taking a big hit from his pipe and blowing out a cloud of smoke, smirking.

"Well, it's always been sad. How the Shadows react to us." Joker said, Arsene appearing in a flourish, the leader spun his gun on his finger and sighed, leaning into his left leg. "Almost pitiful actually."

"Pathetic, Shadows know your place!" Mona and Zorro both stood puffing their chests out.

"I'll beat the decency into you, Kaneshiro." Queen revved Johanna's engine and snarled.

"That's what I wanted to hear, come Baal!" Menma ordered, his eyes flaring dangerously as his Persona manifested, "Debilitate that swinge!" Baal took a deep drink from his cup as a flash of dark energy soaked over Piggytron, its shell was no longer shining steel but rusted and chipped.

" _ **M-My Piggytron, you little shit!**_ " Junya said, firing on the Red Rogue only for the guns to jam. " _ **Nghh!**_ "

"Joker!" Jack said, offering his hand, Joker accepted it and turned to his blond compatriot, "Skull!"

"Hell yeah!" Energy flooded the trio.

"Let me in on this." Panther said, grasping Jack's other hand, the power within them all cranked up several notches.

"I shall assist as well." Fox placed his hand on Joker's shoulder smirking, all of them were snared in blue flames that had a golden edge.

Baal's cup multiplied, all of the Persona took a hearty swig, Captain Kidd turned into blue fire and leapt onto Carmen, Carmen's pets burst and her leashes burnt away, leaving only heady, cloud balls of fire that sparked and sizzled with electricity.

Goemon and Arsene flew into one another before becoming mere energy, that energy then shot into Baal who body shot up in size, now towering over his master, the Persona grinned menacingly.

"Together!" Jack shouted.

" _Firestorm!_ " The flames of Carmen's desire, and the ferocious, whipping winds of Baal's thunderous reign, tore Piggytron, literally in half, metal scraps flew everywhere as the machine was torn asunder, heavy golden bars falling down in a pile before the thieves.

Kaneshiro quickly joining the gold, slamming into the ground with a groan.

Mona and Queen stood agape at the sight, each of the Phantoms retreated from the connection and gasped for air, "Phew… that was… intense…" Panther spoke first, grinning like a fool.

"Damn right it was, it was like… all of us were connected, like more than just physically." Skull tried and failed to put into words the gravity of said connection.

"Like all our souls were bound into one." Fox said, his face alight with glee, "Truly, never have I experienced anything quite like it."

 **Kaneshiro told us more about the Black Mask, about how he was using Palaces to control people. That information fucked with me, how many palaces are there that we don't know about? Too many from** from the way he was talking." Menma said, leaning back into his couch and rubbing his forehead.

"I still remember that, it was… amazing." Makoto said, lost in the memory of that moment.

"I can only imagine." Sae admitted.

"Hmm…" Menma had a thought, it was slightly crazy but it may just work. "Sae… how'd you like to see the cognitive world for yourself?"

Makoto's eyes widened, "Menma is that such a good idea, without a Persona-"

"I just mean the upper levels of Mementos, just to give her context of what we do." Menma assured, Sae seemed to consider this. She looked at her wrist, clicking her tongue.

"I'd like that, how's tomorrow for you, before you go into Shido's palace?" Sae asked, Menma grinned and nodded.

"You have time off work?" Makoto questioned with a risen brow.

"I can take an early lunch break, what with everyone scrambling to find 'Jack' it's easy to slip out for an hour or so."

"I had another idea actually, we should get uniforms." Menma said, "Black suits… arm bands, probably have to leave the masks unless we can change them somehow."

"Uniforms, I can understand the appeal but for what purpose?" Makoto asked.

"It'd make us harder to pick out, certainly. Especially if we have to pull some big show-stopper to 'reveal' ourselves at some point, make our silhouettes less conspicuous." Menma shrugged, Makoto considered this.

"I think it's a fine idea, the less chance you all have of exposing yourselves the better." Sae said, a small smile on her face.

"I'll get some mock-ups done. I'll see you tomorrow Sae, now sorry to boot you guys out but I should probably get to sleep." The Niijima sisters nodded and thanked him for having them before exiting the abode.

"What are your intentions?" Makoto asked her sister, a narrowed gaze as they entered their home.

"I have no _intentions_ , Makoto. I'm merely concerned for him." Sae said with a smirk.

"Then why did you kiss him earlier?" Questioned the younger of the two.

"Because I thought it'd be funny?" Sae explained with a careless shrug, Makoto had never seen her sister so… flippant. "He's usually so high-strung, it's cute to see his brain shut down."

Makoto had a flair of… inadequacy burn in her chest for a moment, that nostalgic sensation that made her feel, not like Queen, but like the Honor Student she tried to hard to break away from.

"If you do anything to-" Makoto began only for Sae to round on her, for a moment her eyes-no that's silly, her eyes couldn't flash gold, it must have been a trick of the light.

"Makoto, there's nothing I could do to him, that you haven't done already. You broke his heart, in a way I've never seen it done before, he would have and almost _killed_ for you. Yes it would have been reprehensible, but do you know the level of dedication that takes?" Sae looked at her sister with something akin to pity.

"And you passed it up, you let it slip you by. Don't project your insecurities onto me just because you lost your chance, that Haru girl did the same and I don't see you calling her up and jumping down her throat." Sae crossed her arms and awaited a response.

Makoto looked hurt, something Sae had shamefully become accustomed to over the years, "I know I overreacted but he… he was too much for me." Makoto looked down and Sae lifted her chin to look her in the eyes.

"Tell me." Ordered the elder.

The two sat down for a moment and Makoto tried to get her head straight, "This is… going to be something you may not want to hear about but it does revolve around sex."

"I assumed as much, go on. I'd rather hear about it from you than him anyway, he get's this… look in his eyes." Sae admitted, though her lips pulled up slightly as she said it.

"He really does." Makoto agreed, exasperated.

"Okay so… our first time was… amazing, he gave more focus to me than anything, he was so gentle and caring, and warm... " Makoto's face had a slight flush to it and she smiled fondly. "And afterwards we just… melted."

"That's good. I"m glad you had a pleasant experience, most people are… not so lucky." Sae said, and it was true. At least from her experience. Most of the stories her female friends told her, predominantly in college were more akin to ghost stories than saucy teenage romances.

"Now I've always known Menma's a bit… out there. And he even told me to take the reins our second time, so that I could… figure it out for myself." Makoto's face was slightly redder now, "Turns out I… like to be in control, and he's probably got a few more marks on him from me than either of us would like."

"What, you bit him?" Sae asked, amused.

"And scratched him… his neck was a mess." Makoto admitted shamefully, "So anyway, I start to notice this weird pattern, each time he'd ask me over we'd do something else and inevitably end up having sex. That wasn't such a problem but it just felt like that was all he wanted from me once he got it. We started going _out_ more and he got me a bunch of really nice things that I _really_ wish he'd consulted me about first." Her tone was slowly getting a little tense.

"He never did anything I didn't want, and never forced me to do anything but all felt like… like he was making me something _he'd_ want, and he never did anything like that for me. He always stayed the same, always acted the same. And then it started to bug me, wasn't I good enough the way I was? Why'd he keep giving me all these things? Was he _paying me off_? Did he think I was so shallow that I wouldn't want to be with him if he didn't shower me with gifts!?"

The room went silent for a moment, Sae allowing her sister a moment to get back on her train of thought.

"I just… felt like I was never enough for him, but at the same time I thought that _he thought_ he was already perfect, that he didn't have to change. And like I said that started to bug me, his attitude, his… carelessness, his stupid speeches about how much he _loved love_ and how he was _so enamoured_ with me. L-like it was his job, like he was some host trying to bed me!" Makoto wanted to hit something at that moment, resentment burning in her eyes.

"Did you ever say anything about this to him?" Sae questioned, making Makoto's fire fizzle somewhat, "You didn't, did you?"

"No…" Makoto admitted, her tone filled with regret. "But when we were away in Hawaii… he cornered me on the beach and basically forced me to listen to his side of the story."

 _ **[Hawaii]**_

Makoto was dolled up in a lovely white two piece swimsuit, showing off her toned legs, her flat stomach, she was proud of her body and she felt pretty damn confidant that she would at least get a few gazes.

She was right, in hindsight she wishes she wasn't.

The eyes of several of her peers made her weary, as well as those native or visiting to the tourist location.

One pair of eyes made her spine tingle, because they did not _burn with desire_ as they once did, they were like shattered glass, a minefield of emotions.

Menma Uzumaki was a prime human specimen, he stood at a round 6 foot, and would probably grow more as he got older, he had broad shoulders and a strong build, his physical attributes were somewhat contrasting to his face, his eyes were like gems, deep purple amethyst orbs that peered into the soul.

His hair was long enough to be tied away into a ponytail, it was red like fresh blood, just like his mother, and silky like soft fur. His jawline was sharp, and slightly angular, like his father, and his all around demeanor was friendly and open.

But now it was solemn, quiet. There was a lingering bitterness to him.

Even seeing him interact with his closest friends, there was a hesitance to it, like he was dipping his toes into the conversations before jumping in.

And he was-When did he get so close?

"We need to talk." Menma said, his voice tense.

"Do we?" Makoto deflected with a quirked brow.

"Don't play with me Makoto. I'm done with this cat and mouse. I get it, I scared you-" Menma began only for his face to explode in pain.

Makoto lowered her hand, her palm stinging slightly, "I can't believe you still think that's what this is about?" Her voice stricken.

Menma ignored the pain on his face, his pupil dilated somewhat and for a moment Makoto saw Jack rise up, but he took a calming breath. "Explain to me, how I hurt you. Because you screaming at me didn't help me understand the situation."

"You used me, made me feel like I wasn't good enough, dressed me up like some… _toy_ , and bought me all those things to… _pay for my time._ " Makoto spat, Menma's eyes widened.

"You thought, that me wanting you to have nice things was me paying you off?" Menma hssed, his hackles up, "You _thought_ that I wanted you to change, _for me_? Makoto if I wanted you to change I would have stopped talking you all together, I don't _change_ people!" Snarled the Red Rogue.

Makoto felt a chill go down her spine as he continued, "I just wanted you to have nice things, because I wanted as many things in the world to remind you of our time together, because I wanted to make sure you never felt underappreciated! Did you think all the time we spent together the memories we made together, stopped having any meaning to me the second I blasted you?" He said in disgust, "I severely underestimated my worth to you."

"Don't try to turn this around on me!" Makoto snapped.

"Oh? And why not!" Boomed Menma, "You refused to talk to me about anything of this nature, I don't care how new you are to dating, you've known me long enough that _conversations_ shouldn't be outside the realm of possibilities." His voice dropped then, misery lacing it.

"Why did you assume the worst of me…? What did I do to make you think so little of me, Makoto? I loved you _so much_ that it hurt. I couldn't think about anyone but you all the time, it actually started to become a problem." Menma admitted, spreading his arms out slightly and shaking his head, "I just… I wanted a physical representation of how much I loved you, I get it showering you with gifts wasn't the way to go, I see that now how it could of/was interpreted but you can't just think so lowly of me and make that fact in your head."

"Relationships are built on trust, and communication. You didn't trust me enough to talk, so you took your own path." Menma said, leaning onto his right heel somewhat he shook his head, "I don't get you, I thought I did. I thought I could make you as happy as you made me. Obviously not. I'm sorry Makoto, for whatever perceived slight I caused you." Menma shook his head once more and started walking away.

"Menma-" Makoto called after him, only for him to wave her off.

"Enjoy the trip." He said, finality oozing out of is words.

 _ **[Niijima Household]**_

"So he really just talked at you until you listened to him?" Sae questioned, raising her brow.

"That''s a slightly condensed version of what happened, but mostly. Yes." Makoto admitted, nodding.

"Why _did_ you think he was treating you like some common street walker?" Sae asked, leaning forward somewhat, trying to grasp the thought process of her sister.

"I don't know." Makoto admitted, sighing, "In hindsight I feel stupid for it. He's too much of a sappy romantic to earnestly think so little of me but I was just… insecure I guess, he's not exactly promiscuous but… well you know him."

"He's Menma." Sae filled in blankly.

"He's Menma." Makoto agreed with a sigh.

"A ball of sexuality, gushy romance, cute things and punching things." Sae chuckled to herself.

"Generally that's where his mind is… what happened in that interrogation, before you got there? He's…. different now."

Sae took a breath, steadying her will.

"He was… drugged, beaten and tortured before I got there. He had a bullet wound in his shoulder the entire time. The bruises he's got at the moment are what he looks like after recovering.I don't know what he used to fix himself up, but on the way home he, broke down into tears, thanking me over and over again. When I got him home he almost ran into the shower, I waited outside and I heard him sobbing and saying he 'wasn't clean'." Sae informed, the look of horror on Makoto's face completely understandable to the silver haired woman.

 **[End]**

 **Hope you liked it, if you did lemme know. If you didn't also lemme know.**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_

.


	6. Chapter 6

**Menma Narrating**

 _Guest Narrating_

" _ **Shadows/Persona Talking.**_ "

"Humans Talkings."

' _Humans thinking._ '

" _Telepathy/Radios_."

Menma woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, images flashing in front of his eyes, he heard his door open and fled back only to hit the wall, the light turned on and burned at his eyes.

"You okay, bud?" His father asked, Menma shielded his eyes, as his father entered the room. "I could hear you from my room."

"I uh… nightmare." Menma mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"I'm sure." Minato agreed, looking his son over, "Your bruises…" It seemed like only then did Minato understand what this son endured, his wrists had deep purple lines, his throat had marks on it that looked like hands, his collarbone was a dark purple, his shirt road up in the night revealing his darkened stomach.

"Hmmm." Menma wrapped his arms around himself and looked down, shame colouring his features.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, son." Minato assured, sitting on the bed, noting the flinch from his boy, "What happened to you… well I'll make sure those monsters don't make it to christmas." Was the grim promise of a father that had been crossed.

"Every time I close my eyes…" Menma mumbled, shivering.

"I'll get your mother." Minato said simply, standing up, within a few moments Kushina entered the room, hair mussed and eyes slightly unfocused, the light was turned off and he heard footsteps.

She sat on his bed and pulled him close, her smell filled his nostrils almost immediately his tension begun to melt away, Kushina smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, holding her fragile boy close to her chest.

"Don't worry, Menma." Kushina's soothing voice flooded his ears, "Kaa-chan is here."

His soft breathing let her know he'd calmed down within moments of her being there, holding him, Minato appeared once more and kissed her cheek before slinking out, bidding her a good night.

"Oh my sweet boy…" Kushina murmured with a frown.

 **23/11/20XX Shibuya Station Square**

Menma stood with his hands in his pockets, a simple dark grey t-shirt on with baggy denim jeans and dark green sneakers, he idly rubbed the studs in his ears, they were a little tender because the holes had closed up somewhat over his incarceration

He leant against a wall looking towards the path to the underground. People kept looking at him, the bruises, he didn't want them looking at him.

Baal appeared beside him and leant into the wall, not saying anything but simply sipping at his chalice, the dusky skinned, womanly hipped, god looked to its master and offered him a sip, Menma declined, not exactly ready to take another chalice trip anytime soon.

"You stand out, you know." A familiar voice prickled Menma's ears, he looked up to see Sae approaching him in her usual suit-slacks-heels combo, she smirked as she garnered his attention.

"You always scan people with your eyes before speaking with them, why is that?" Sae asked, noticing how his eyes darted up her body before returning to her eyes.

"I like to take note of what people wear." The Uzumaki said as he leant off the wall, Baal disappearing, "Ready?"

"I suppose, should we do it so out in the open though?" Sae asked, Menma shrugged.

"People never seem to notice for some reason." Admitted the youth as he pulled out his phone, grabbing Sae's arm with his free hand he pulled them both into the Metaverse, the sky turned red and the entrance into the underground became macabre and grim.

The steps were made of what looked like obsidian instead of concrete, the guard rail was a spine of some kind, and the walls seemed to have some living tissue stretched across them.

"Ugh… _this_ is the Palace of the People?" Sae asked, repulsed.

"Yeah, none of us could figure out why either." Menma admitted.

"Did you… change outfits?" The prosecutor asked, confusion in her eyes, Menma quirked a brow before looking down.

Surely enough instead of his usual armour and shawl, he was dressed in a black vest and trousers combo, with segments of armour seemingly stitched into it, the gloves he wore had ornamental silver claws instead of gauntlets, his pants had the same cloth-metal appearance and texture of his vest though with special attention over the knees and shins.

His shoes were simple black dress shoes though did have what looked liked short blades at the heel.

"Huh… neato." Menma said, fishing his mask out of hammerspace only to retrieve a black pair of sunglasses with slim frames and bright red lenses, as he slipped them on he didn't have the red hue he expected instead it appeared to only work on way… somehow.

"You look… rather dashing actually." Sae noted, fixing his tie slightly and gesturing to the armband around his right bicep, "Hmm… P. . Cute, Phantom Thieves Incorporated." The sash itself was a white with black filigree and black print.

"I feel quite marvelous, thanks for the compliment." Menma smirked in a way that allowed his glasses to fall slightly so he could wink at Sae over them, she returned the smirk and bumped her hips against his.

"Come on Mr. PT you've got something to show me." She slipped an arm around one of his and he grinned accepting the gesture as he guided them down the stairs.

Igor spoke to him, out of the blue and it almost made him trip. " _Ahh… the Velvet Room. So close yet so far._ " The blue butterfly slipped out of his chest and sat on his shoulder, just as they were about to enter the first floor of Mementos.

"Oh..!" Sae's rust red eyes widened slightly at that sudden voice.

"Igor? What are you talking about?" Menma questioned, his ponytail almost whipping against the wind with how quickly his head turned.

" _Oh? Can you not see the blue bars in the left corner? Or the two small girls standing beside them?_ " Menma looked in the direction instructed and narrowed his eyes, there was definitely a blur there that he couldn't quite make out, Igor flew up to his face and landed on his forehead, Menma felt like he was hit with a sudden case of eyestrain.

There they stood though, two cosplaying loli's with eyepatches, one with a baton and the other with a clipboard, each to one side of a glowing set of iron bars.

"What in-How long have they been there!?" Menma demanded, tearing off his sunglasses and growling like a poked bear.

" _These attendants have been watching over your Trickster the entire time, Agent. Consider them… your own wards._ " Igor attempted to explain, " _When Lord Philemon created the Velvet Room, and in turn myself, he granted me the power to create my own attendants. Though some ended up shacking up with Wild Cards… Oh Elizabeth, poor girl._ " Lamented Igor.

"Uhhh…" Menma didn't really want to know what kind of people shacked up with jailbait.

" _Oh silly me, they do not all look as those two do. Strictly speaking those two are supposed to be one person, but at the moment I and by proxy, they, am shut away from my true purpose. Not that I dislike dwelling within your soul, it has become quite roomy._ " Igor said with fondness, like one would when speaking of a childhood home.

"So do I… approach them?" Menma questioned, Sae looked very confused but figured it was a Phantom thing.

" _I think it would be best to avoid direct contact for the moment, at least until I regain my position as proprietor of the Velvet Room._ " Igor suggested as he flew _through_ Sae and then back into Menma.

"That was… strange." Sae started, looking down at the faint glow that was left behind by the odd butterfly that had _passed through_ her.

"Yeah… goddamn today is already so weird." Menma said with a shake of his head, pushing his sunglasses back on and allowed them to be taken over by golden flames, " _Arcee!_ "

A mechanical woman appeared behind Menma, sleek in design with several flared segments of armour, her ankles and wrists had what looked like wheels on them, Arcee peered down at her master and nodded, several joints in her mechanical body began to piston and change.

Where once stood a buxom robot, was a motorcycle that looked like it was ripped straight out of a sci fi movie, it had four wheels instead of two, the wheels were roughly ten centimetres apart while the body of the cycle sat much like a Light Cycle out of Tron.

Menma slid onto Arcee feeling the purr of the engine as he did.

"Only you." Sae said with a blank face, "Only you would have a magical spirit that can turn from a motorcycle into a mechanical woman with big breasts and wide hips."

"I can't exactly deny your point, but I raise the fact that _she_ came to _me_." Menma said with a grin.

"Oh I bet she did, you lecher." Sae flicked her hair aside with her hand before sliding on behind him, holding tightly around his midsection.

"Oh yeah~." Menma grinned like a fool as he sped off into the depths of Mementos.

 **[Mementos; Path of Qimranut - Floor 1]**

"This is your inflight captain if you look to your right you'll see the twisted perception of humanity warping the subway lines, on your left is a large formless Shadow." Menma said in his best announcer voice, Sae scoffed in his ear, making him grin.

He revved Arcee's engine making her purr turn into a roar and launched himself at the Shadow amalgam, as her front wheels struck the Shadow it flew down the tracks and burst into a trio of green slimes with boiling red eyes.

Menma slid off Arcee as she returned to his Soul, Sae taking a few steps back to see him in action, "Hades!" The air seemed to grow cold as the Lord of the Underworld (Elf Edition) rose up behind the redhead.

" _Containment Chains!_ " Ordered the now glasses-less thief, Hades raised one hand and it glowed with a crisp blue energy that summoned a cluster of great frosted chains that rose up and circulated their targets before exploding, along with them went the Slimes, that turned into chunks before seeping into the ground.

Hades faded away and Menma turned back to Sae with a grin, she was wide eyed and understandably so, from her perspective a greek god just appeared and destroyed several mounds of sludge and waste with a snap of its fingers.

" _That_ is a Persona in 'action' it doesn't really look as impressive when you one-shot the bastards but you get the idea." Menma said with a shrug as he walked up to the prosecutor.

Sae just chuckled and shook her head, " _ **Hmm, still looking as juicy as ever. I love that confidence.**_ " A familiar voice crooned.

Both humans turned to see a _very_ familiar Shadow walking out of the wall of Mementos, Sae Niijima Shadow was as gorgeous as she was sexually intimidating that being said it showed how she wielded that as yet another weapon.

Shadow Sae, or Leviathan depending on what state she was in, was an elegant creature. Dressed in a long black dress that seemed to be made of the sexiest latex in the universe with matching gloves that ended just past her elbow, the dress was cut at the side to show off her creamy right thigh as she walked, it was _dangerously_ close to her waistline, almost revealing the treasure within.

Her dress was also cut at the front, revealing side-boob and her navel, though over this gap was fishnet mesh. A similar mesh was in place for her stockings, the visible stocking ended at her thigh and had a spiked collar around it. Much like the spiked collar around her delicious neck.

Her eyes were the trademark golden hue, though around these eyes was a _lot_ of eyeshadow/eyeliner, it was like someone took a black marker pen and drew on the sexiest panda eyes imaginable.

"Menma!" Sae scolded, the Uzumaki was in such a daze at the sight of this Shadow once more he barely noticed how tight his pants felt all of a sudden, Sae did however.

Shadow Sae chuckled huskily, tipping her hat ever so slightly, it was wide brimmed and sat slightly askew, a gorgeous yellow flower resting as the centrepiece. She stalked towards him and draped her arms around one of his own.

" _ **Ooh~ Don't be such a spoilsport. He's just happy to see me again, aren't you pet?**_ " Shadow batted her lashes coquettishly and pouted, it was emphasised by her black lipstick that just… did things to him.

"So very happy." Menma whispered to the ceiling, as though thanking god.

"Nice to know where your loyalty lies." Sae said with a shake of her head. This actually seemed to insult Leviathan as she frowned at her human counterpart.

" _ **This young man accepts us for who we are, inside and out. He accepts our flaws, our lows as readily as our highs. If that's not loyalty I don't know what is.**_ " Leviathan informed with a scoff.

"This is your Shadow, the part of yourself that you don't want to acknowledge we… uh, talked. In your palace." Leviathan giggled into her hand much like a degenerate would upon finding out about a new fetish.

"I'm sure talking was all you did. So what does this mean, that I'm just a terrible person?" Sae questioned.

" _ **Do I look terrible to you?**_ " Leviathan questioned with a quirked brow.

"No, you look fabulous, darling." Menma assured, getting a warm grin from the Shadow, she pinched his cheek as she spoke.

" _ **Oh you are just the sweetest, never let it be said that I don't adore you, Uzumaki.**_ " Cooed the Shadow with a beautiful smile that made his heart to flips.

"Well I… yes, I have… inclinations towards you." Sae informed, trying to save face. Lest her blabbermouth shadow take away what poise she had left at the moment.

" _ **Oh he knows…**_ **believe** _ **me.**_ " Leviathan informed, emphasising as was appropriate.

"...What did you too with my Shadow, Menma?" Sae asked with a narrow stare.

" _ **We fucked like animals, I had to steal him away from the Phantoms while they played about in my Palace… it was, uhh! It was incredible!**_ " Leviathan informed, Menma sighed into his hand, more than ready to face this music.

"To be fair, look at you normally and look at your sha-mmph!" His face was suddenly pulled down, along with his collar into the awaiting embrace of Sae Niijima's plump lips.

Mindwipe.

All thoughts vanished in that moment.

It was like… nothing he'd ever experienced, one second he was aware of the world around him and the next he had the worst case of tunnel vision he'd ever experienced, his arms moved on their own, pulling both Sae's closed to him, the Shadow smiling serenely as she begun to glow.

The Leviathan was soothed as she sat on the same level as her other half, the soft beating of their hearts syncing up with the Thief that stole them.

" _ **You make me feel human.**_ " Shadow Sae said, a forlorn look in her eyes, suddenly her hat was knocked off and she was pulled up into the searing lips of the object of her affection.

Sae was breathless and red faced, reality kicking back in. By god this young man was going to take responsibility for making her feel this way, for making her act like a lovestruck teenager. Now it made so much sense, all these old feelings that were pulled to the surface recently, this little bastard had not only stolen her heart, he filled it.

Leviathan gently cupped his cheeks as her black lips moved against his, her eyes slipping open for a moment, to match his half lidded gaze, those amethyst fireballs burned into her very existence, she pulled back for a moment, their noses touching ever so slightly.

" _ **I… I'm pretty sure I love you, Uzumaki.**_ " Leviathan crooned softly, her voice was like the dagger in the dark, cutting the curtains and letting the sun shine through once more.

Menma's eyes widened, holding the twins in his arms and looking at them both, Sae's rust red and Leviathans saffron gold, his mouth suddenly felt very dry.

"I uh… _really_?" He asked tentatively, the voices within him were quiet, deathly so.

"Yeah… I could agree to that." Sae said, "Shall we… make a gamble?" The woman questioned her Shadow, the golden eyed goddess of goth grinned, in a way that lit up all of mementos.

And then it literally lit up.

Leviathan exploded into light, it seared his eyes for a moment but within that light he saw a single object, blindly reaching out he pulled a… card?

 _I am thou, thou art I._

 _Through the bonds of trust, through the light of delicate love, I come._

 _I am_ _ **Judgement**_ _, hold me close Guardian._

As the light faded, Menma had to hold his face to stop both his jaw from falling off and from the enormous grin that had formed on his face from showing through.

Even though her Shadow was basically sex incarnate - to Menma at least - Sae made said shadow look like a toddler with their mother's lipstick - or father's it _is_ the _current year_ \- all the emotion that had built up in his throat was replaced with an intense heat the burned his veins in a way that only incomparable _desire_ could.

Sae was dress in _all_ leather, _tight leather_ , it was a blacker than midnight catsuit as a base. Though it was a heavily altered catsuit. There was a zipper down the front that fell to her navel, that was unzipped, revealing her incredibly toned stomach and fabulous funbags, those majestic mounds were held captive by a leather bikini top, a white skull on each one.

The 'jacket' part of the suit had a popped collar that just barely touched her ears, the trimming of the suit itself being soft white.

Her neck was covered by the same spiked collar - Menma was thankful for that honestly - her hair was tied away into a sleek ponytail, though the upper portion of her face was hidden away by a black, glossy steel helmet, it had two spikes over each ear and a pair spiked horns towards the crown of her skull, the face of the mask had two eyeholes, with extra material cut away to improve her field of vision.

At the forehead of her mask - looking to have been painted on - was the same yellow flower from her Shadows hat. It actually made her eyes look even more gorgeous, and he was already pretty enraptured.

Sae's sleeves covered most of her arms though her elbows and forearms did have what looked like leather coverings, her elbows had slim but deadly looking dagger heads, looking to be made of some transparent metal. She wore fingerless gloves with silver metal caps on each of her knuckles, her nails were now a midnight black.

Her hips had similar leather armour, held up by a silver chain belt - later to be found out was incredibly light and somehow comfortable - the armour fell to her, front and back, and looked ended up simple arrow heads, at the centre of each piece of armour was a single, golden coin, on the front two pieces there was Sae's own face, on the back, embarrassingly enough, was an impression of Menma's face.

' _Don't make a sit on my face joke, don't make a sit on my face joke, don't make a sit on my face joke…_ ' Mentally chanted the young man as he continued his inspection.

Sae's high heels were still in place, though now they were more akin to boots and rose to her knee, each was still black as a moonless night but these had cuffs folded at the top of the boot, the trimming of the cuff was a soft, snowy white.

The weapon she had, you ask?

 _A fucking minigun_.

It had two giant bayonets strapped to the top and bottom of the barrel, that in itself almost made him step back, the end of each barrel was a skull with little horns, with six barrels in total every second one had purple eyes and the others had golden eyes.

Sae looked down at herself and then at the gun, picking it up _with one hand_ and smirking as she set it back down, she strutted up to the younger Persona User, Menma initially thought she was going to pull him into another fierce kiss but instead she pulled herself close to him.

Sighing contently against him Sae actually _nuzzled_ his neck making his skin shiver in delight, even from there she could hear his heart beating and crashing about in his chest like a thunderstorm, "I love you." She said into his ear.

Menma felt his stomach seize as a wave of emotion seized his person, it was amplified as she looked up at him, water in her eyes, "Do you know how good it feels to say that to someone, after so long of… being alone?" She questioned him softly.

Menma's mouth felt dry once more, any response he had died on his tongue as he looked into her eyes, effectively lost in them. He wanted to say _yes_ , he wanted to pick her up and swing her around in his arms to express _physically_ just how much it meant to _him_ to hear her say those words.

"I always admired you, you know?" She asked once more, chuckling to herself sombrely. "I was actually quite jealous when Makoto told me you two were dating. I know that sounds petty of me but it's true. You were everything someone could want in a partner, you're sweet when you need to be, you _listen_ when people speak, you-you went out of your way to spend time with me, even before you started dating her, just to make sure I was feeling well, that I was happy." She slid her hands over his cheeks, pulling her mask up on the way.

"You're the first guy I've met that doesn't just see me as a long pair of legs and a nice ass." She admitted with a chuckle, genuine actually, "Which is ironic considering how much of an _animal_ you can be."

"I can be pretty bad." Menma said softly, looking at her and smiling, their height difference was negligible, this was a six foot tall woman after all.

"It's part of your charm, oddly enough." Sae admitted with a warm smile, the same smile Leviathan had, the same smile that could put the sun itself to shame.

Menma reveled in her touch, "I didn't want to tell you, not so soon after… what happened." The silver haired woman said honestly, "I didn't want you to feel like I was using your vulnerability as an excuse to use you, that's the _last_ thing I want Menma… I don't care about the age difference, I don't care what anyone else thinks of us, but _you_ I want to do right by." She pulled herself in again and nestled into the crook of his neck.

Menma felt heat in his eyes and fell into her neck, his shoulders shaking, he did feel vulnerable. Like his flesh was exposed to a storm and all he had was himself, but she… she was the sun that shone through the storm, that cut through the darkness in his mind.

"Sae… if I said I want this… to be a serious relationship, If I said… I saw a future here-" He was silenced by a finger against his lips and for a moment his heart skipped a beat.

"I'd say yes." She answered immediately, making the tears in his eyes fall all the quicker, "I'm in this for the long haul, I've laid myself bare to you, just like you have for so many years… I want this to be our for-"

Lips against lips once more, this wasn't the primal lust his body screamed for, this was the undaunted, unstoppable, raw _passion_ that burnt within his heart. The same passion that every sappy moment in his head was born from.

"In one year, I'm going to propose to you." Menma said as he pulled back, making her eyes widen, "I don't care if someone says it's too fast, sure we can talk about it later-right now I don't care about anything but _this_." The fire in his eyes returned, that same fire that scorched her Shadow made Sae's heart flutter.

Her own tears quickly followed, which made his fall just as quick, the two lovers rested their foreheads against one another and held each other tightly, crying and laughing and feeling whole once more.

The noise of chains rattling quickly filled the halls of Mementos, effectively killing the mood.

"Oh dear…" Menma said as he pulled away, though still holding his _new_ … no not sun and stars, that was tainted. He'd think of a new all encompassing thing later-well now he can't not think of something, his… other half. Because together they felt whole.

That was sweet.

"So, love of mine. This is the Reaper." And as he said that a large figure came floating around the corner, in one hand was a long revolver pistol, in the other… well nothing but it did have claws. The reaper looked like a giant, animated hooded cloak, as it floated and did not walk.

"Should we run?" Sae asked, though from the look in her eyes, that fiery _rage_ at having their perfect moment interrupted.

"I'd say we kill the fuck. He _did_ try to ruin our moment." The Now-Black Rogue said with menace.

The Reaper noticed them both and released a rolling, raspy whine. It fired it's gun up into the air and was encompassed by a glow of red energy. Menma grinned, recognising the Charge ability.

"Setesh, Tetrakarn!"

And thus it began.

The game was simple.

Every time the reaper shot an ability out, Menma would counter with either a spell to reflect Physical abilities or one to reflect Magical abilities.

What he didn't expect was for Sae to get fed up and bored, and to simply start pumping a seemingly endless stream of bullets into the bastard, "One-Shot Kill!"

Behind Sae appeared a multi-armed cyborg, one arm being an actual minigun itself, another arm holding a double-barrel shotgun, the other two holding hooked razors, the creature lack legs and instead had a serpentine lower half, its chest was feminine, having a corset of gorgeous crimson cloth that hugged and molded its figure, though the effect was lost somewhat because instead of breasts it had cannons.

Fuckin'… cannons man.

The head of the creature was two serpentine heads, one having a cobra's hood while the other was a simple, sleep snake.

"Leviathan, Charge!" Sae ordered, like it was second nature at this point, "Once more, One-Shot Kill!" The prosecutor demanded of the spirit, the red effect of the Charge ability barely fading before a great barreling, cyclonic shot rang out from one barrel of Leviathan's shotgun, it ripped into Reaper who groaned in agony.

"Well we can't miss out… Hades, Concentrate!" Menma commanded, the elfin greek god appearing in a flash and summoning a blue vortex of energy on its creator, the Reaper moaned as it went to take an action, only for a hail of bullets from Sae to make it flinch.

"Tartarus!" Demanded Menma, Hades waved his hand and a great pit formed underneath The Reaper, hundreds of hands shot out of the pit, all made of Ice, each hand created a patch of frost on The Reaper that popped with a small explosion, hundreds of these tiny explosions made The Reaper fall onto the ground and wail in pain.

"Debilitate!" Sae commanded, Leviathan firing off two shots from its tit-cannons and shot the spell like it was a shell.

"Sae!" Menma called out, offering his hand, she took it and actually _twirled into his arms._ He figured, fuck it, and dipped her, their energies collided like magnesium and an open flame, _intensely_.

Leviathan and Hades looked at one another before nodding, Hades sputtered into hellish, icy flames that leapt onto the minigun strapped to the two headed snake's arm, in a burst of spectacular glory cryogenic rounds that _exploded_ pelted into The Reaper like it owed her money, the pitiful creature collapsed in on itself and burst into smoke, a great rush of power filled both Sae and Menma as the concentrated energy that resided within The Reaper flooded their Persona.

Menma felt like he could crush a building with his punch, Sae was about ready to run into work and take on _everyone's_ work load just to satisfy this burning in her chest, this desire to _do_ to act. It would not simply be quenched by more battle it needed an outlet.

She threw off her mask and leapt at her love, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, Menma wanted to say something but his mouth was filled with tongue. And he knew better than to talk with his mouth full.

The pair of them were like forces of nature colliding in the sexiest ways possible, every part of their beings rippled and echoed in a pleasurable cascade of emotion and lust boiling together into one concentrated essence, it fueled them, it fueled their very souls.

Nourishing themselves against one another both physically and spiritually.

In layman's terms however.

The _fuuuucked_ , like… hardcore shit, the kind of stuff you _never_ want anyone to know you know about. It was the kind of sex that made the world move, or pause to watch, the thing about doing it in the collective unconscious of the human society was that several thousand babies were conceived that day as a result of their _fire._

 **[End]**

 **Cutting it here since it seems a natural place to end it, sorry that it's a bit shorter.**

 **Also to anyone worrying about the sudden shift with Sae and Menma going full lovey-dovey mode, I'll make sure they have a proper sit-down to discuss their actual intentions outside of a rush of Persona, Shadow and feels.**

 **Hope you like it, lemme know if you did/didn't and I'll see you next time.**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Menma Narrating**

 _Guest Narrating_

" _ **Shadows/Persona Talking.**_ "

"Humans Talkings."

' _Humans thinking._ '

" _Telepathy/Radios_."

 **[23/11/20XX Diet Building; 2PM.]**

The Phantom Thieves were all gathered, even Futaba, though all of them noticed the absence of one particular figure.

"He isn't answering his phone." Ann said, a frown on her face.

"Weird…" Ryuji noted, looking over his own phone as though bidding his older friend to suddenly message the group.

"You'd think he'd at least message ahead if he was going to be late." Ann said with a shake of her head.

"It has been. _Five minutes_." Akira said blankly looking at the blond duo, he rubbed the ridge of his nose, holding his glasses with his other hand.

"But he was so gung-ho about making sure we get this done, what could be takin' him so long?" Ryuji questioned with a frown.

Suddenly they heard a man in a suit talking on the phone, he had a large smile on his face his eyes slightly watery, "Honey I thought it over… I want to try for children, it might be a little reckless but… Yes I thought so too, I love you sweetheart, see you soon."

"Huh, good for him." Ann said with a smile, the man seemed to hear that and looked at the group.

"Oh. I'm sorry, kids. Didn't mean to bring you into my conversation, or intrude on your own." He rubbed the back of his head somewhat sheepishly, "Never thought about having kids but today just… feels right." He looked at his watch and grinned.

"Life's short kids, make sure you get the most out of it!" He _ran_ to his car and got in, driving home.

"Wow." Makoto said with an owlish blink, "He seems… excited."

"He's not wrong though, life is indeed short and it's times with loved ones that make it all the more worthwhile." Yusuke said, his arms crossed with a serene smile on his face, the image a beautiful painting flashing in his mind, "I dare say I would enjoy the concept of fatherhood."

"Really?" Akira asked, interested, "I wouldn't have picked it." The Joker admitted.

"Understandable, I know how… different I am to most people. But I feel within my heart that the love a parent has for a child is the purest thing on this planet." Yusuke spoke passionately, "With that love, the pure undiluted emotion I could create wonders and it would all be for them."

"That's beautiful Yusuke." Haru praised, a soft smile on her face.

"Of course I would not hastily rush into such a thing." Admitted the dark haired painter, "It would be foolish to bring another life into the world without proper preparation. Nevertheless I look forward to the day."

"Maybe that guy was onto something." Ryuji admitted, scratching his cheek, "If Yusuke's gettin' all baby crazy maybe somethin's in the air."

"Love?" Haru questioned with a giggle, "It has a habit, or so I've heard."

Ryuji chuckled, having gotten the joke. Akira smirked and shook his head.

"I will admit, it did pop into my head out of nowhere." Yusuke informed, "It just felt… right to talk about." He shrugged, sighing with a smile on his face. "I feel a slight foolish actually."

"Don't." Haru assured, patting his arm, "I think it's sweet, you speak with conviction about it."

"Thank you, Haru." The Fox said with that same serene smile on his face, "Ah, perhaps you are right Ryuji, something may be in the air I feel… Oh I feel simply sublime."

"Good for you man." Ryuji said with a grin, "Nice to see you smilin' for a change."

"Inari always smiles, he's just usually doing it while talking about weirdo stuff." Futaba said with a snicker.

Instead of taking the bait Yusuke merely smirked at the younger teen, "Nice to know you're paying attention to me."

Futaba felt her face heat up for a moment before she ducked behind Joker, "Keep your pervy thoughts to yourself, Inari!" Hissed the ginger.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Yusuke said sternly, "I'm already with someone, Futaba… besides you're not my type."

"You have a type?" Akira questioned, now _very_ interested. They never seemed to actually talk about stuff like this.

"Of course." Yusuke said as though it was the simplest thing ever, " _Everyone_ has preferences. I would say that Hifumi suits all of my criteria for a perfect partner." A fond shine filled Yusuke's eyes, that warm smile pulled up once more.

"Do go on." Akira urged, leaning in somewhat.

"She's so very sweet." Began the dark blue haired youth, "So very kind, and incredibly understanding of my flaws. She cares for me, I feel that truly." He placed a hand on his heart, it beat just that little bit faster as he spoke of his love, "Love…" Yusuke had a moment of clarity.

Akira watched with interest as cogs begun to turn in Yusuke's head. He fished out his phone and his thumb hovered over a call button, to Hifumi. "Dare I..? N-no it's far too soon, I may cause her discomfort."

"Would you like my opinion?" Akira offered gently, Yusuke looked to his dear friend and nodded resolutely, "I think, that if you _truly_ love someone, it never hurts anyone for them to hear you say it."

"You are right, of course you are but… with people our age, is it not considered… clingy? To claim such things, I do not wish to… foil my own relationship because I was too hasty in my feelings." Yusuke said cautiously.

"If you feel it Yusuke, than she will as well. I promise you." Akira assured, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Yusuke paused for a moment, in thought before pressing the call icon and pulling the phone up to his ear, it rang a few times before the familiar voice of his darling answered, " _Hello, Yusuke._ " She greeted, a smile in her voice, " _How are you today?_ "

"I am quite well, thank you for asking, how goes your own day?" Yusuke responded, before giving the customary question in return.

" _Better now that I have you in it_." Hifumi admitted, that alone made his heart flutter in a way he could not describe, his face visibly flushed, Akira grinned at his side, Hifumi giggled into his ear, " _I'm sorry, that was quite abrupt of me._ "

"Do not apologise, I feel the same." Yusuke said, confidently, smoothly. "I actually had something I wished to tell you, Hifumi. It may seem quite abrupt as well, but I cannot shelter it within me."

" _Oh? It sounds quite serious, go on please._ " Hifumi had a slight hesitance in her voice, a familiar quaver that alerted him to her nervousness, he may not have the best skill with social graces but he paid incredibly close attention to hers for the sake of her and her alone.

"I just wanted to tell you, Hifumi Togo. That I love you. That I hold you within my heart to the highest esteem, and I may be telling you this in a hamfisted manner but I simply could not bear the idea of not telling you. You are my precious love, my first love." Yusuke said, all his friends had effectively gathered around him at this point, Ann and Haru smiling widely and hopping in place at the cuteness.

" _Yusuke…_ " Hifumi said, her voice slightly hoarse, " _That is… thank you, thank you so much. I promise, I will be worthy of your love. I feel the same, you… you make me feel better, you make me want to_ be _better. I can never repay you for that, but I want to give you my love as much as I can._ "

Akira guided the group away, sending a wink to Yusuke who was so swept up in his own love-addled joy that he could barely comprehend anything else at the moment.

"Dude…" Ryuji said, even he had a bright smile on his face, "That's gotta be the sweetest thing I've ever seen."

"Right?" Ann said, holding her cheeks. "Ahh, it's so beautiful."

"It's quite adorable." Makoto said with a chuckle, "I never expected Yusuke of all people to be so lovestruck, he's always appeared so aloof."

"I think that might just be Yusuke's way of approaching the world." Haru said, ever the empath. "Whatever conditions Madarame raised him in, Yusuke accepts the world in his own way to cope with whatever methods were used to raise him."

"That's quite the observation." Akira said with a smile.

"It's easier to see things like that, from my perspective at least it makes sense." The Okumura shrugged with a soft sigh, "My father changed over my life, so I had to change as well. I suppose… in a way I am the way I am now because my father was so… my father." Haru explained, fumbling slightly as she tried.

"I get'cha, it's like being yourself to make sure you don't turn out like them, yeah?" Ryuji said, getting a happy nod from the girl, he grinned, "I'm the same way, as far as I'm concerned the less like my old man I am, the better for the world at large."

"Surprisingly mature of you, Ryuji." Morgana said popping out of Akira's bag.

"Oh right, you're still here." Shot the blond back with a slight inflection of distaste, "Sorry I was busy talking to the other _humans_ , I forgot about the bag-cat."

Morgana hissed at the thug, making him smirk in victory.

"Ryuji…" Ann said with a sigh.

"Look, I ain't just gonna take crap from the hairball because he's sensitive. He's been on my case since day one." Ryuji defended with a scowl.

"And you responding to his baiting puts you on his level." Ann explained patiently, always the mediator.

"M-my level!?" Morgana demanded.

"Yeah, it's about thirty centimetres off the ground." Ryuji shot out with the haste of a cracking whip.

"Uh." Ann palmed her face as the cat fumed.

They turned at the sound of hasty feet, the eldest of their little clique finally making an appearance, he seemed completely disheveled, and were those..?

"Are those hickies!?" Demanded Ryuji, "Dude I forgive your lateness." The blond offered a hand and the pair exchanged a high-five, grinning as they did.

"Is that seriously what kept you?" Ann asked with a flat stare, Menma chuckled sheepishly his face red but there was a palpable _glow_ to him.

"You seem quite… radiant, Menma-kun." Haru noted with a deadly look in her eyes.

"I've had a really good morning." Menma said shamelessly, "I feel… great today, actually." his hand sat on his neck, cradling the various marks that resided on it with a grin firmly in place.

"What degeneracy were you up to, I wonder?" Akira questioned with a chuckle.

"I was… filling a void within my soul." Menma said whimsically, his eyes glazing over for a moment.

"Perv." Futaba said with a chuckle.

"I am not gonna take that from the flippin' tentacle queen." Menma shot back with a solid stare, making the ginger blush with a grin.

"So seriously, what were you doing?" Ryuji questioned, nudging his shoulder. Menma looked from side to side for a moment and leant into the younger man's ear, "No way… NO WAY!" Ryuji's face turned positively scarlet, "Holy shit-STOP!"

Menma pulled back with a shining grin, Akira quirked a brow. "Tell ya later." The curly haired Joker just shook his head with a smile.

"Well I'm sure I can speak for everyone and say we're glad to say you're feeling better." Makoto said with a soft smile, Menma nodded to her, thankful for her words.

"Shall we away?" Yusuke questioned, slipping his phone away, Joker nodded and fished out his own.

"Masayoshi Shido, Diet Building, Ship." Joker said as the world seemed to… twitch for a moment before shifting rapidly their vision darkening collectively before they all appeared on the front of an enormous cruise ship, the waters surrounding them dotted with several buildings.

"Wow… talk about a low opinion of the people." Jack said with a shake of his head, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Whoa! Dude what the heck?" Skull questioned with a few rapid blinks, "How'd you do that?" The Thieves turned to address the change in attire.

"I uh… thought about it?" Jack explained lamely, "That's pretty much in, I just… thought of my Phantom Thief attire differently."

Skull looked him up and down for a moment before humming, in a burst of blue flames Skull was now donned in a similar attire, though his tie was a soft golden yellow and now his mask was wide lensed sunglasses with short, jagged teeth on the underside.

"It can't be that simple…" Mona questioned, Joker's attire exploded into flames as well, his glasses were shaped similar to his mask and his tie was a deep crimson red, the master thief grinned at the cat who groaned.

"You look quite dashing." Noire commented, her cheeks slightly pink, looking at the trio of _manmeat_.

"Pfft, baby I know." Jack flicked his hair, a long whip of red lashing against the wind for a moment as he stuck his nose up, though a white grin lit up his face as he looked down his glasses at the puffy-pants'd girl.

"So humble." Queen muttered with a chuckle.

Fox's attire changed next, his tie being a frosted blue and his frames having white strokes on them.

Panther's latex changed to a very tight, female version of the 'uniform' with red accents and red velvet inside, her tie was a radiant orange, the jacket was double breasted but folded back slightly to accentuate the colour contrast of the red and black, her boots still had heels though now looked like slim knives instead of actual heels.

"Huh, comfortable." Panther adjusted her rose red glasses and smiled radiantly, looking to her male cohorts she posed dramatically, "How do I look?" She faux-demanded.

Somehow lined up, each of the boys clap with a noticeable 'not bad' expression on their faces, "Lovely darling, positively gorgeous." Jack praised with a slightly camp voice.

"Thank you darling." Panther said with a flick of her hair.

Noire's clothes shifted, her's were quite similar to Ann's though in the place of red were shades of lilac Her frames looked similar to her domino mask, and her lenses were a similar shade of light purple, her tie was an almost pink colour.

"It spreads further…" Jack rubbed his gloved hands together and chuckled.

Makoto was the last, though hers was distinctly skintight in appearance, with sleek heels and in place of her iron mask was a pair of winged sunglasses, her red eyes looking especially majestic as they peered over the frames.

"Shall we ladies and gents?" Joker asked over his shoulder as he began walking towards the entrance of the city-sized ship.

 **[Metaverse; Shido's Palace]**

 **The ship itself was… big, and** _ **loud**_ **. People were making noise at every part, there were slot machines, blackjack tables, roulette tables. Speakers fucking everywhere… Constantly spilling out** _ **more and more**_ **of Shido's speeches, the dude refused to shut the front door.**

 **What shocked us all is that when we finally managed to get to the main entrance hall, which was shockingly,** _ **not at the entrance**_ **we found a giant door, and an attendant beside it informing us that we needed letter's of recommendation to get in.**

 **I was… not exactly playing with that.**

"Excuuuse you?!" Jack demanded, looking down his glasses at the attendant, "How _dare you_ sir!? I am appalled at your lack of tact!" The Phantom exploded into a tirade of 'the working class' and how disgraced he was that Mr. Shido had _dared_ decline him entry into a meeting of the minds so early.

It ended up with them being given detailed instructions, and permission to seek out those who would be able to give up letters.

"Wow… you really blew up at that guy." Skull said with a chuckle.

"I thought I could use the fact that I was raised with a silver spoon to bullshit my way in… I need to work on my snobby rich boy act." Jack admitted as he rubbed his chin as they passed yet another casino section on their way to the restaurant-

 **You know what? This place is lame, trust me. I know what you're thinking, Menma how could you just cut the story off to tell us about yelling at someone and then cut it off again to tell us about cutting it off, well friend lemme tell you this.**

 **This Palace, sucked ass. Do you know how long it took to get those fucking letters? Do you know what I had to do to get them!? I turned into a rat for this story! Fuck. This. Palace!**

 **Real talk for a moment though, Shido is responsible for Akechi, the deaths he caused and the person damage done to Futaba, and the general bullshit surrounding Akira's criminal record. This is a bad dude, his constituents** _ **paid**_ **to get mental shutdowns performed.**

 **No, what's the juicy stuff is how we drew out the actual guy himself.**

 **[25/11/20XX - Calling Card Day]**

"-As a citizen myself I am outraged that these criminals are able to propagate their presence within our society, it is both improper and incredibly troubling to have them acting the way they are, without every paying for the crime of changing the fundamentals of a human heart!" Masayoshi Shido, bald, orange glasses and donned in a black suit with a white dress shirt.

He was clean, he was crisp, he looked like a snake.

"Japan needs to rely only on itself for strength, not these criminal interlopers who claim to side with justice and yet exploit the people's will!" He spoke with fervor, standing atop a van with banners and signs for his campaign.

"The current government does nothing to protect its citizens, nor does it do anything to repair the damage they have done! Think to the mental shutdowns! Think to President Okumura! Think to the horrors they have committed and know them for what they are, murderous criminals!"

Suddenly, the streets lit up, the central street advertisement screens all fizzled out, drawing attention skywards, Shido actually stalled for a moment, seeing the strange occurrence, a single, familiar logo appeared on the screen, a red mask with a top hat, with a flare of white flame off the left eye.

It made several people gasp at the audacity but they were immediately hooked.

" _People of Japan, we… are the Phantom Thieves._ " Spoke the tallest, they were all donned in suits of differing varieties, with glasses hiding their eyes, face masks covering the lower half of their heads to avoid identification but each of them presented their hair, if only to give a huge middle finger to the idea of anonymity.

The red haired one pressed as he continued to speak, " _We come today and extend an olive branch to those who fear us, know that we are on your side. We wish only for the people of the world to live free of oppression, of corruption. To root out vile cancers within the hearts of those that would harm others._ "

" _We come today to inform you of our next target._ " A blond man said, adjusting his glasses as a small display showed up, the picture was that of Shido himself, " _You all might think this guy is great and all, but he's a seriously shitty dude._ "

" _Masayoshi Shido is the true criminal responsible for the mental shutdowns, his accomplice was one Goro Akechi. In order to perpetrate these crimes Shido had several backers._ " Dozens of images showed up, pictures of political figures, business moguls and known criminals, the brown haired woman informing the people pushed a stray lock behind her ear as she spoke.

" _Evidence to this will be released on the Phantom Thief website within the minute, we advise you all take the time to comb through this information, or if it's more convenient, await the summarisation by your Youtuber of choice._ " The blue haired male said with an air of flippancy.

" _We give this information freely, and hope you pull away the veil of lies that have been cast over your eyes._ " The one with curly, puffy brown hair spoke. Their voice gentle despite the distortion.

" _Our goal is to make the world a better place. We thank you all for your time, and bid you a good day._ " The one with curly black hair said with a polite nod, the screen winked out for a moment before the screens returned to their typical state.

People standing before Shido were all glued to their phones, the bald man blinked owlishly at the complete 180 his day just took.

"Oh… shit." Muttered the proud man with wide eyes.

 **[26/11/20XX Metaverse; Shido's Palace]**

The Phantom Thieves all passed the attendant out front of the assembly hall that housed Shido's treasure, within was a completely furnished room of rows upon rows of chairs, there was a staging area with a podium on a raised dais.

Joker looked around as he led his team in, once more he noticed the scraggly look of Jack's hair, and the faded black marks of what Joker knew well to be lipstick. Dating Takemi you… figure out how to get black lipstick off quickly.

Apparently he'd have to give Jack some tips.

He didn't comment, of course. If only for the fact that it seemed to be the whole reason his dear friend was so happy at the moment, his shoulders lacked the weight they'd had over the days of his release from… whatever happened in that torture chamber they called an interrogation room.

Joker pulled his gloves tight, a habit he quickly got into after first transforming, it seemed to be some kind of hidden tick he didn't know he had.

It seemed strange to the black haired fool, to be true. He didn't expect to come face to shadow with the man who attempted to ruin his life. Shido had to get in line to be honest, Akira Kurusu was quite talented at putting up with the shit of adults, his parents were either at eachother's throats or going over their divorce, he couldn't wait to gain complete independence from that damned household.

Great, not he was in a mood.

"We got your back man, ain't nothing we can overcome." Skull said seriously, having apparently misread the cause of his mood, which Joker understood of course, how would his friend suddenly gain mindreading powers?

As they got to the front Skull took the first move for himself, "Shido!" He called out, Joker smirked, how very Ryuji of him.

" _ **Where**_ **did** _**you pathetic lowlifes obtain your power? Nevertheless if you've a complain on how I'll save this country, do tell.**_ " Shadow Shido spoke, his voice bouncing off the walls as he strode out from behind the giant face-like curtains behind the podium.

" _ **I'm disappointed in you, Mr. Uzumaki.**_ " Shido spoke, walking forward and leaning into the podium, noticing the distinct red hair of the Apex Heir. " _ **Your father was quite stubborn about supporting me initially, but after I threatened your mother well… he crumbled quite quickly. I do wonder what it'll take to make**_ **you** _ **crumble.**_ "

Jack twitched for a moment, a familiar pair of golden eyes appearing on the shadow he cast in the hall, "You did what?" Snarled the redhead.

" _ **Don't be coy, boy. You and I both know it's your father's company that protected Madarame… or did you truly not know? How quaint. I suppose even the 'Family Man of the Business World' doesn't spill his guts to his spawn.**_ " Shido prodded with a chuckle.

" _ **Who would have thought it would be so simple to make that foreign bastard bend? Just threaten the slut he got pregnant with a mental shutdown and he'll zip right up… but you had to go and kill my attack dog!**_ " Swore the shadow as he slammed his hands into the podium.

Jack felt a black rage build in his breast, "You dare-"

" _ **Oh I do indeed! What an eyesore, 'Apex' pah arrogance and pride from some blond fool! How dare he reject my offers! And yet the second you and the bimbo are put under the knife, all that fire burns out. It's an insult!**_ " Shido snarled as he cast his arm forward.

"Wasn't stealing the research of my mother and killing _her_ not enough for you, you monster!?" Oracle demanded with fury.

"Everything you have done is for your own selfish gains, you even had my father killed, I can never forgive your actions!" Noire snapped.

" _ **Pfft, like I need your forgiveness little girl! Sacrifices are needed on the path to reform, the old and weak must die so the strong may live! The foolish**_ **will** _ **entrust themselves to their superiors, I shall be the guiding force that steers this country in the right direction.**_ "

"You fucking charlatan!" Snarled the redhead, his body twitching as his shadow began to writhe under him, "You are just a weak little man pretending to be some saint! Without Akechi being your attack dog you never would have gotten halfway as far! You use and discard people so quickly, nothing in your shameful little existence can ever make up for what you've done!" With a booming roar Menma launched himself as Shido.

"Threaten my mother, harm my friends, disgrace my people!? _**I'LL KILL YOU!**_ " The explosion that resonated from the redhead shook the boat itself, his fist slammed into the Shadow's stomach making it fly upwards, the stage where the podium sat begun to rise, the seating area before it was slowly being covered by enormous wooden panels that begun to fold out.

"Quickly!" Fox said as he leapt up, followed by his peers, Oracle was pulled up into Prometheus, a giant orb of black that exuded a nebula of shifting energy, it worked much like her previous Persona as inside it was a giant computer with everything the support member of the team needed to pick apart their enemies.

Shido grunted as he landed on the ground, the podium had vanished at this point and they landed at what appeared to be the upper surface of the ship, but in reality it was just that the ceiling had been torn away. The backdrop of their fight would be the serene waters of a flooded Japan.

Jack's breath came out in thick clouds of steam as his body seemed to spasm and twitch, the sheer _hate_ that burned in his chest made every inch of his body scream to _kill_ this man.

" _ **Everyone you've hurt, everyone you've trampled upon, I'm getting payback for them, I'm getting payback for Akechi!**_ " Snarled the Jack, his hooked knife flicking out of his sleeve whilst Ivory sat in his offhand.

" _ **Heh, oh please. Try as you may.**_ " Shido's suit melted away, he wore a uniform reminiscent of a military generals fatigues, he had a spiked metal helmet and flared golden spikes on his shoulders, a long red cape flapping behind him, rising up from under him was a golden lion formed from the frozen, screaming faces of humans.

" _ **The masses are my tools.**_ " Shido said with a sneer.

"We're still gonna kick your ass you arrogant fucker!" Skull shouted, "Seiten Taisei!" What appeared to be Son Goku ripped directly out of Journey to the West appeared behind Ryuji, gliding on a fluffy white cloud and wielding his adamantium staff.

"Chaaaaarge!" Commanded Skull.

"Let's do this team, Yusuke, Jack, Noire, we're up front while the other's buff up!" Commanded Joker.

"Of course/Got it/Ready!" Responded the mentioned teammates, Haru leapt in first.

She pulled out grenade launcher and fired off half a dozen shots into the giant lion making it roar in anger, whipping out a hand she tagged in Jack who summoned one of the deities he kept in his head.

"Baal, Debilitate!" Ordered the redhead, Baal appeared and splashed the mighty golden lion with some of the wine from his cup, it recoiled, appearing visibly weakened, "Tag out." Menma offered his hand to Fox who accepted it, and with it a surge of power.

Delivering a mighty blow via Susanoo, the evolved form of his Persona Goemon Yusuke was almost lifted into the air by the force of his strike, "Cycle!" Joker ordered, the trio jumped back as Skull, Panther and Mona leapt into the fray.

"God's Fist!" Skull roared as Seiten Taisei leapt forward and a great golden fist collided with Shido's mount, it roared in agony, only to get no reprieve as Skull passed it along.

Panther was next, "Blazing Hell!" Both Shido and his steed took devastating fire damage courtesy of Panther and Hecate, her evolved Persona.

Mercurius appeared behind Mona, the blue messenger of the gods exploding out with a vicious and intense Garudyne, having been boosted by several background abilities the Evolved Persona possessed.

Shido's steed crumbled under him, making the politician scowl, " _ **Pathetic Masses, you cannot even stand up against a pack of children!?**_ " The man spat at the creature before lifting his hand and beaconing the thieves forward.

" _ **Come on you rats**_." Ordered the man.

The practiced thieves seemingly blurred and appeared surrounding the man, "Even rats can topple an empire." Joker said with a smirk.

"Remember the black plague?" Jack pointed out with a harrowing grin, "Rats are _dangerous_ little critters."

"He's sayin' we're gonna kick your ass." Skull translated.

" _ **Yes thank you, I understand the metaphor.**_ " Shido said, actually insulted.

"Skull…" Mona groaned out.

"All out!" Joker ordered, cutting the potential argument short.

The blur of motion and the stings of their blades made Shido hiss in agony, he stumbled back as they landed a few feet away from him, with a growl the Shadow slammed his hands onto the ground and shot back up, he gave a mighty bellow before his shirt exploded and his muscles expanded.

Underneath the suit was a body built to smash, his body was covered in tension cables to strengthen muscles.

Jack raised a red brow for a moment before shaking his head, summoning Setesh he activated Heat Riser on himself, then swapped to Hades, activated Concentrate and prepared to use his stupid OP move.

His comrades flashed in and out of combat with the bald man, Joker used one of his own support based Persona's to use Debilitate on Shido, Oracle brought up everyone's offensive power, while Skull, Queen and Fox started aggressively savaging the now shirtless man.

Every time one of them got close Shido's fist would burst with a dark aura and he swung it with the same efficiency with which the Nestlé company ruins the lives of the people they sell water to.

Read up on that.

Shido managed to clip Fox in the shoulder which ended up throwing him several feet and ended with the blue haired youth landed face first onto the ground.

"Fox is down!" Shouted Mona, summoning Mercurius and using a Diarahan repairing any damage the young man had sustained.

" _ **You brats think you'll take this from me!? I won't let anyone control me!**_ " Roared the man with fury.

"Sit down!" Jack ordered as Hades rose up behind him, looming ominously, "Tartarus!" The black pit of hell appeared beneath Shido, he grabbed the edge and held on for dear life as his body was assaulted by dozens of frozen limbs, each impact chilling him to the bone and causing his muscular form to bleed heavily.

Jack leveled Ebony and Ivory at the man's hands and fired off until the clips ran dry, with his hands mangled beyond repair Shido fell into the pit of Tartarus, only to be spat back up by an enormous serpent and deposited onto the ground as the pit sealed up, Shido landed on his back.

His chest was heaving, his brow laden with sweat.

Jack kicked the man in the ribs, the first time it was like flesh meeting metal, the second time there was a crunching noise, the third time there was an audible _snap_.

"This… is for… my mother." With one final kick, Jack stepped back and took a breath, "Okay… I'm good."

"Nice of you to get it out of your system." Queen commented.

"Yeah… Feelin' good." Jack said with a firm nod, ignoring the skeptical look.

"Alright Shido, ready to give it up?" Skull questioned, tapping his mace against his shoulder.

The energy the Shadow had gathered faded away, leaving the usual reflection in its place, now with several scuff marks over its form, Shido crawled up to his knees and took a breath.

" _ **I… suppose so.**_ " Admitted the man with a soft sigh, " _ **I didn't expect to lose so spectacularly.**_ "

"No one does." Panther commented with a chuckle, getting a high-five from Fox who did so with a blank look.

"For causing countless mental shutdowns, for causing pain and grief to countless people, you will atone… with your life." Queen indicted Shido, giving the whole affair an air of finality.

"You got a few choice words to say to our leader before you disappear?" Skull's question was less that and more a demand, but the message was still received.

" _ **Yes… I admit that I wrongly accused you to save face, to avoid blots on my record.**_ " Shido said, " _ **I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you… for the pain I caused everyone… I truly did some deplorable things.**_ "

"Now's the part where you give us the names of every collaborator you had, I want a list before we leave." Jack said as he crouched down in front of the man with a notepad and pen, "Proceed."

 **[End]**

 **Hope you enjoyed it, lemme know if you did/didn't in a review. I do read them and they fill my bosom with joy.**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**So I think I've discovered my way of writing proper. With the whole narration from the protagonist and all that, It really makes it a lot of fun and makes it feel like a story we're all being told instead of just me putting something out there and hiding away until it's next part is done.**

 **On a side note I'll keep writing for this story until it's COMPLETE and then move onto or back to one another.**

 **Thanks to all the beautiful people who have sent me messages and reviewed, I'm glad you like the stories. Makes the recovery period of surgery a lot less stagnant.**

 **Next story will be a revisit to Borderlands, with Warframe elements thrown in. Don't worry to those outside the know with Warframe, I'll keep it minimal.**

 **Menma Narrating**

 _Guest Narrating_

" _ **Shadows/Persona Talking.**_ "

"Humans Talkings."

' _Humans thinking._ '

" _Telepathy/Radios_."

 **[26/11/20XX - Uzumaki Residence; Afternoon]**

Menma threw off his Shujin jacket and sunk into his couch, falling face first into the comfy cushions, he honestly thought about drifting off there and then, the exhaustion of going into the Metaverse twice in the same day still having not left him.

A knock at the door made him groan and almost whine in rejection of the idea that he had a visitor already. Flopping onto the ground the discomfort prompted him enough to get up, opening the door he was greeted to the sight of Makoto.

"It's been thirty seconds, what's wrong?" Menma asked tiredly.

"Do you mind if I talk to you for a few minutes?" Makoto asked gently.

Menma nodded and slinked back to the couch, falling into a sitting position, Makoto followed and sat herself down across from him, "Sorry if it looks like I'm not listening, I am it's just that my body is trying to punish me."

"I understand, don't worry." Makoto assured with a small smile, "I can only imagine how tired you must be after doing two trips."

"I imagine it's similar to an awakening." Menma ventured with a slight wave of his hand, "All the energy you did have is just… pulled right out of you."

"That sounds about right." The brunette said with a nod, "I wanted to ask you how you were actually."

"Tired." Menma said without missing a beat, chuckling to himself. "Good, my nightmares are steadily getting less vivid, any time it get's hard to deal with my parents help me. Speaking with all of you and re-attaching myself to reality is making life easier."

"That's good… when Futaba pulled the full video file we were all-" Menma's dark glare made the words die in her throat, even tired he could pin her vocal chords with but a look. "Anyway, I just wanted you to know that if you need me, I'm here for you."

"I appreciate that, Makoto." Menma said with a nod, his glare fading away as he closed his eyes and leant back into the couch, "Means a lot."

"Do you mind if I ask you something else?" She probed quietly, getting a wordless nod as a go-ahead from the redhead.

"What's going on between… you and my sister?" She asked, not exactly wanting those bitter words to leave her lips.

Menma cracked open an eye and raised a brow at that, gesturing her to elaborate.

"Well it's just that… she seems to be bringing you up a lot all of a sudden, and after whatever happened in your trip to Mementos happened she's been… chipper. I just wanted to ask you if there was… an occurrence."

"Are you asking if I had sex with your sister, Makoto?" Menma questioned with a smirk.

"That's what I am asking, yes." Makoto affirmed, her eyes set and resolute.

"Whether I did or didn't why are you asking me about this, and not your sister? Wouldn't she be more inclined to sharing what put her in such a good mood?" Menma questioned with another question.

"Please don't deflect." Makoto asked with a small frown, those same pink lips he love(s/ed) so much pulled downward.

"Ask Sae, Makoto. It's not my place to talk behind your sister's back." Menma said finally, after a moment of thinking it over.

"So you did." Accused the brunette.

"I didn't say that, nor did I imply it. I simply said that you should talk to your sister, your relationship with her is none of my business. Nor is it my place to comment on it." Menma stated, resolute in his words.

"..." Makoto fiddled with the hem of her skirt, "Why are you like this?" She asked, downcast.

"Clarify." Menma ordered, narrowing his gaze.

"Why sex? What is it about it that has you so hung up?" She questioned, her eyes not meeting his.

"Part of it is the physical expression of passion and lust between two people, the other is the bond that is built between two people during the act, the binding of two into one." Menma said with a shrug, "It's pleasure, it's romance, it's lust, it's love. I don't really have an answer. I just like the concept, the act and all the bits in between."

"With my _sister_?" Makoto almost plead, looking down at the couch that the two had snuggled on many occasions, she could still feel the phantom of his warm arms around her waist.

"Makoto." Menma said, a soft sigh leaving him. "It's not like I am the way I am to spite you. I'm a human being, with human needs and desires. I never once claimed to be a perfect person, nor should I expect anyone can. In the grand scheme of my life I only recently begun feeling that explosion in my chest that is the sensation of love." Admitted the youth.

"When we started dating, I was the happiest I'd ever been. You made me feel whole, like any void I had could just be filled with the love I held for you, and in turn whatever feelings you had for me. I'm not some sex-crazed maniac that wanted to just flood your insides with my various fluids." Her cheeks tinted pink, though her nose wrinkled at the manner he said it.

"I'm a seventeen year old human male, Makoto. My interest in sex is perfectly normal."

"You told me you've been interested in it since you were four." Makoto pointed out without missing a beat.

Menma shrugged, "I'm a dedicated student." He grinned, Makoto chuckled despite herself, "Look, I'll level with you… because if nothing else you're one of my dearest friends." Menma sat up properly and knitted his fingers together.

"My interest in your sister is not some shallow attempt to get back at you. We've been split for months, does it bother me the way it ended? Of course it does." Menma said, his face never even twitching as Makoto winced, " _But_ we're both mature enough to continue on with life. I already know Sae, I've known her as long as I've known you, so yes… outside looking it it may seem like some petty bullshit attempt to rub it in your face, I'm just doing what makes me happy. If that upsets you, I'm sorry but my responsibility for your happiness has ended."

Makoto nodded, she closed her eyes and sighed, "That's fair." She admitted after a moment of thinking it over, "I'm glad we dated." Admitted the girl.

"Really?" Menma asked, skeptical, "You sure about that one?"

"I _know_." Makoto said with a roll of her eyes, "I know… trust me. I'm glad because it was a good experience, we shared a lot of firsts together, and I'm glad that I can look back on all those times with fondness instead of the… ugly way I did for so long."

"When you still thought I was a sex-starved borderline-despicable human being who used women as outlets for his desires." Menma cut in, straight faced.

"Yes." Makoto responded, the redhead nodded and gestured her on, "So I just wanted to ask you if… next time I start to go crazy, if it's okay if I come to you."

"I'd expect it." Menma said with a scoff, "Who else are you going to ask, _Morgana?_ Come now darling, we've shared too much with one another to walk away."

"What do you mean?" Makoto questioned with a quirked brow.

"We've seen each other naked, I don't know about you but that image is burnt into my mind. I don't like the idea of someone who's seen me so… _exposed_ , hating me. Hate makes people spill secrets, and that opens up vulnerabilities."

"Like about that scar on your hip?" Makoto said with a grin, Menma frowned and crossed his arms.

"I've said it once I'll say it again, birds have sharp _fucking claws!_ " Hissed the purple eyed youth.

"You _did_ kick a ball into it's nest." Pointed out the brunette with a giggle.

"The dickhead shouldn't have nested at a beach!" Defended the Apex Heir.

Makoto and Menma broke into a fit of laughter, the door opened revealing Kushina who greeted them both with kisses on the cheek, "Good afternoon my sweets."

"Hello Kushina-san." Makoto greeted, her body warming at the sensation of a mother's love.

"What did I tell you, Mako-chan?" Kushina asked sternly as she slid her handbag over the back of a chair, "Call me Kaa-san."

"Uh, but I-" Kushina wagged her finger making the girl fall silent.

"Your relation with Menma isn't why I said that in the first place, sweetheart." The older redhead gently pulled the younger girl into a warm embrace, "It's because you're a precious little treasure that I want grandbabies from."

"Why is everyone talking about kids recently?" Menma asked the ceiling, before a catlike grin spread across his mother's face, "What…?"

"So, older women huh? I suppose that's my fault, I always did dote over you a little too much." Kushina said, Makoto squeaked in her arms making her grin and chuckle, the poor brunette was assaulted by plush Uzumaki chest-flesh as a result.

"Probably." The younger redhead said with a shrug, getting a pout from the older, "Oh what, you think after all these years of hearing weird stuff come out of your mouth _now_ I'm going to stumble?"

"And what a nice mouth it is." Kushina goaded, licking her lips lewdly.

"I figured out where you get it." Makoto said with a blank expression as her face was mashed against breasts once more, Menma threw his head back and laughed uproariously.

" _Knock-knock_." A voice at the door said, Menma got up and pulled it open, the faces of Ryuji and Akira greeting him. "Hey dude, we came to hang out." The blond said with a grin.

"And you couldn't have just come home with me because…?" Menma asked with a quirked brow.

"I made Akira dump Morgana, that cat's been gettin' on my nerves more and more recently." Ryuji explained, Akira fiddled with a curl and tried to ignore the conversation ever endeavouring to remain neutral within the Morgana-Ryuji conflicts.

"Well come on in." Menma gestured them in, the duo kicked off their shoes and placed their bags next to the door.

"Oh, offerings? Darling you shouldn't have!" Kushina gushed with a deviant giggle, Ryuji and Akira blushed, having only met the woman a few times but each time was something to remember.

"They aren't wired to deal with attractive older women, Ma." Menma said with a shake of his head, "Don't melt their brains."

"Oh I always knew our forbidden love would blossom!" Crooned the woman before breaking into a fit of laughter, Menma rolled his eyes.

"She's always been like this, no I don't know how to make her stop."

"...let her keep going…" Ryuji whispered, so soft only Akira and Menma heard him, the duo laughing at the starstruck look in the blond's eyes.

 **[26/11/20XX - Nighttime, Uzumaki Residence]**

Menma tucked a strand of hair behind his head, his black haired friend working aside him. Tonight he was indulging, making spicy fried chicken, and baked potatoes.

His hair was done up and he wore a headband that actually just said 'Spicy Boy'. Because his mother is a degenerate pervert.

Just like him.

His apron was also had an apron on that was a dark green colour with a white tree of life styled onto it, for no real reason it just looked cool so he bought it one night.

"What do you need boss?" Ryuji asked, smirking whilst Menma dredged chicken with one hand and crumbed it with the other.

"Check the 'tatoes. Also grab the soft drink I put in the freezer into the fridge." Menma said without looking up, "Please." He amended as an afterthought.

"No prob." The blond said without another word.

"Anything I can do?" Akira asked with a quirked brow.

"If you want, there's some salad stuff in the fridge, if you could just chop some green shit up and chuck it into a bowl I'd be much appreciative." Akira nodded, his eyes resolute as he went to act out his task.

A pair of arms snaked around his waist, and a kiss was placed on his neck, his whole body feeling the tingles from his spine the second those lips touched his flesh, "Hey love." Sae greeted, Menma felt a bright smile light up his face, he leant back and awkwardly managed to put a kiss on her cheek, getting a laugh from the woman.

"Hello my darling." Greeted the young man with a radiant shine to his eyes. "Good to see you."

"And you." Sae returned to her position and rested her chin on his shoulder, heels man. "Am I to assume this a carnivore's feast?"

"It's a feast of delight disguised as protein and starch, but in reality it's spices, salts, oil and food-coma inducing mash."

"So it's garbage that you just wanted to make to feel like a big boy?" Sae teased with a chuckle.

"Well you'd know about my position as a big boy." He goaded with a wiggle of his eyebrows, Sae laughed throatily into his neck making him wriggle into her.

"Am I going to need to sterilize the kitchen after you two have been in it?" Minato asked with a deadpan stare as he went to the fridge and got a cold bottle of water.

"Anything's possible." Menma said with a shrug, only for Sae to swat his shoulder.

 **The next few days were quite peaceful actually, everything seemed to return to normal. While Futaba was getting more names we all worked on tracking down the big five targets from Shido's ship in Mementos, the deeper we went the hazier everything seemed to get.**

Jack steered Arcee up next to Mona and leant over to the drivers side, making a motion to roll the window he was greeted with Queen's face, "How many floors have we come down?"

There was a pause, a voice Jack recognised as Oracle piping up from behind, "About 5 floors without getting a hit, so far." Queen informed.

Jack hummed as Arcee purred betwixt his thighs, "Are we missing something?"

Mona spoke up, from within car mode, "I can definitely sense something below us, if we keep going we'll surely find them." Assured the cat-bus.

Catbug would have been better, Menma thought bitterly.

"Well whatever it takes, we'll get this last guy and then shove off for the day." Jack said firmly, Joker had essentially passed over leadership for these specific tasks to Jack, as their leader did whenever he felt someone else was better oriented to handle such tasks.

For example, when Queen initially joined he gave her the reign of analysis and tactics until Joker acquired the necessary skills to handle the task himself.

As they all journeyed one floor down the group heard their two hunters voices, "This is the floor/Found 'em!" Mona and Oracle said with glee,

Arcee hummed beneath Jack as he revved the engine and took off, scouting out the opposite path to the group, to speed up the hunting time, it took only a minute before he got a text saying they'd found the source, Jack skidded the back tires of Arcee and shot off towards them.

Ooe, a politician that worked under the Shido Regime, and a disgusting pile of human filth if ever there was one, he was the reason that so many subway shutdowns happened, he was the creme of the crop when it came to scumfucks.

His monstrous form was that of Yamata-no-Orochi, the same form he assumed within Shido's palace, that spoke to how deep the man was involved with those who used his Shutdown Service, or Akechi's Shutdown Service if one were to be pedantic.

" _ **You little bastards don't have the prestige to participate in the new world!**_ " Ooe spat, as he literally spat venomous clouds out at the Phantom's, Jack reared Arcee and climbed onto the wall, the Persona transformed and kicked off the wall, her user on her still, her bladed heel dug into one of the many serpentine necks and hewed it, sending one head flying off and spasming uncontrollably.

"Debuffers!" Commanded Joker, several conditions were placed upon Ooe, his attack, his defence, his speed, and then it was all topped off with Joker's Debilitate.

"Damage!" Joker ordered as he summoned Kohryu and used it's Psycho Force ability to open up Ooe's vulnerabilities.

Next came Skull with a God's Fist, and then Fox with a Brave Blade, Queen broke into an Atomic Flair, and it was all topped off by Jack coming back around for a Hades Tartarus, the fight itself lasted only a few moments, but the sheer force of their power crashed against the shadow like an unstoppable tidal wave.

Ooe appeared from the remains of the shadow, beaten and bruised but somehow still alive which was good because murder was bad kids,

They went through the same motions they had four other times that day, telling the man that he needed to gather all the evidence he had and take it to Sae Niijima and await his time to be called, so he could confess his crimes and be given justice in a court of law alongside his peers.

It worked, Ooe left and his minor treasure remained. It was a silver ring with a ripple pattern to the metal, and a cluster of dark blue gems imbedded into it.

 **The day ended like many other's with a Mementos trip in it, we all retreated home and rested up. For me though, I was visited by the silver haired miracle herself and got some glorious cuddling done. Time well spent I'd say.**

 **[10/12/20XX Uzumaki Residence; Morning]**

The day had finally come, that he saw _something_ on the new regarding the whole Shido situation, sure he was kept abreast of the situation through his connection to Sae, but it was a special kind of pride to see tangible results.

Shido's career was dead in the water, all the evidence provided by the man himself, and those within his inner circle made the entire body of the metaphorical snake wither and die.

The whole world was touched by the Phantom Thieves that day, it quavered as a new superpower came into play, those that would watch over society as their quiet guardians, only making a great kick up when it truly mattered, the Phan-Site was losing its' collective shit in that moment.

Menma leant back into the couch, a smile on his face it had all worked out at the end of the day.

" _Ah… the presence has lifted…_ " Igor suddenly said, appearing from Menma's chest and fluttering about, " _The malicious entity within the Velvet Room has been banished. I may now return, how queer._ "

"What do you mean?" Questioned Menma, a quirked brow.

" _Well truly I expected there to be some great bout against the entity but it seems to have just… faded away? Purged from this world. I must return, I shall await your presence within dear friend._ " Igor glowed brightly before winking out of existence, Menma blinked owlishly before smiling.

"It really did work." The redhead said to himself, "Feels pretty good."

Menma crossed one leg over the other and looked out the window of the apartment, "Feels sort of anticlimactic." Admitted the youth with a small frown, Menma's eyes felt heavy as he sunk into the couch, "Ah well, worry about it later."

 **[Years Later]**

"-ad… da… DAD!" A small, sharp voice screamed out, suddenly purple eyes flew open and he shot up into a sitting position.

"I'm up… gods be good, what?" Rumbled a twenty-seven year old Menma Uzumaki, rubbing his stubbly face in an attempt to conjure more awareness.

His child, short with brilliant silver hair and heterochromatic eyes, one red and one purple. She was two years old and already decided she had the run of the place.

"She's your problem…" Muttered the exhausted voice of his wife, her long silver locks splayed out across her bare back as she cuddled against a pillow, attempting to return to sleep.

The little girl, Mito, made various noises that one could assume were her attempt at words, unfortunately for her Menma did not speak infant, "Use words, Mito. Dad doesn't speak sproglidite."

Her nose crinkled in a very familiar manner before she leapt back into an explanation.

She was two, he didn't know what the hell she was talking about.

"You want coffee?" Menma asked his beloved, ignoring the ranting toddler for the moment.

"God yes… why did we have a kid so soon?" Sae muttered, her words lack any real rancour but she didn't exactly enjoy carrying around another life-form for nine months, cesarian or not.

"We're ravenous animals." Menma answered, kissing her temple softly, grabbing Mito and pulling her up with one arm, "Come on you, leave your mother alone."

"Daaad, das silly." Mito said firmly, for reasons.

"Don't raise the child, raise the adult. Sure, it'd be great if that adult was able to speak properly." The Uzumaki patriarch rumbled.

"Nanny today?" Mito questioned, as Menma strode into the kitchen and put the kettle on.

"If you're good I'll see if she's not busy." Menma said with a nod, putting bread into the toaster. He set his spawn down into her high-chair and was immediately treated to her squealing with delight at the sight of one of the two cats.

Aptly named Puff, the cat was grey and covered in long, fluffy fur. Her eyes were a bright blue in colour and she had little white patches over her feet like boots.

"My life is so… normal." Menma said to himself, ignoring the squealing child as best he could. "Puberty for her is going to be fun." He said dryly as the toast popped, as he reached for it his phone began to buzz.

"Ya-hoy-hoy?" Answered the redhead.

" _Hey, Jack. We got a job._ " A familiar voice rang over the phone, Menma grinned broadly.

"When?" He asked immediately.

" _2pm today, I'll text you the meetup. Bring Leviathan, we'll need the firepower._ " Said the voice a chuckle colouring their words.

"I'm sure, see you soon Joker."

 **End.**

 **I know, anticlimactic but that's how this one ended up.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it, if you did lemme know.**

 **Next story will be a while but not too long so hold out hope.**

 **You'll all be happy (maybe) to hear it's a revisit to the Borderlands idea.**

 _ **Raxychaz!**_


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